The Puppy Situation
by FruitySmell
Summary: There are a million and one ways to court a girl. In Neji's case, he had to run over her dog first.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**WARNING: **Rated** T **(for language)

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 1: Of Driving Lessons and Cute Puppies**

It was a beautiful morning, a Sunday to be exact. The sun was slowly peaking out, its rays warming up the start of the day. Birds soared to the azure skies or were heard singing a merry tune as they hopped from one branch to another.

People were slowly beginning to stir and wake up, although most stayed burrowed in their sheets, snoring lightly. Early morning joggers stopped to watch the beautiful sunrise, a small but content smile on their faces despite sweat running down their foreheads and their backs.

Precisely by this time, the Hyuuga family sat quietly, enjoying their breakfast. Only the sound of clinking bowls filled the air, and sometimes, the silence was cut off by when someone flipped the pages of today's newspaper.

Hyuuga Hiashi, the father and head of this family, read the headlines of the paper seriously, his cup of tea forgotten. Then, he coughed, and everyone on the table focused their attention on the Hyuuga patriarch as said man folded the newspaper in his hand and reached for his tea.

He brought the glass close to his nose to inhale the scent of his tea before taking a small sip. And all the while he did this, he was keenly aware of the three pairs of eyes watching him curiously.

The man placed his cup gently on the table before his lavender eyes landed on his eldest daughter. The girl flinched at the attention, but her gaze did not waver as she returned the eye contact.

And then, Hiashi spoke. "Hinata, you are turning twenty this year, correct?"

Hyuuga Hinata meekly answered in affirmation, but her eyes clearly showed that she was confused. This was definitely not the conversation she had anticipated, judging by the seriousness that enveloped the whole dining area and all.

Hiashi nodded and closed his eyes, deep in thought, before he continued. "Then, I believe it is time you learn how to drive, daughter. You are old enough. In fact, I was sixteen when I first learned how to drive. And your cousin, Neji, was sixteen as well when he had his first driving experience."

The look in the Hyuuga patriarch's eye showed no room for arguments, and Hinata had no choice but to mutter her answer, "Of course, Father," softly and obediently.

Nodding in satisfaction, Hiashi opened his mouth to say something else but was interrupted when his youngest daughter, Hyuuga Hanabi, joined in on the conversation.

"Can I come with sister, Father? Perhaps I can learn a thing or two if I observe the driving lessons." Hanabi spoke excitedly, giving her father a cheeky smile. When Hiashi merely nodded his assent, Hanabi cheered loudly, and her apparent glee eased the tension bubbling inside Hinata, who smiled at her sister's excitement.

Hiashi, then, cleared his throat, and his eyes rested on the last person in the dining room who had not yet uttered any word since breakfast.

Hyuuga Neji was the exact replica of Hyuuga Hiashi. From the coffee-colored locks, kept long due to tradition, to the bones underneath his pale skin, Neji was like the exact younger version of the man. And of course, to complement with the physical features, Neji also had a very serious, no nonsense demeanor, which was so very similar to that of Hiashi's, that many people actually believed that he was Hiashi's son.

However, such was not the case, for Neji was the child of Hyuuga Hizashi, the twin brother of Hiashi who had passed away because of cancer. Neji was then only seven at that time. The boy's mother had already died as well because of childbirth, thus leaving Neji an orphan and alone, had it not been for his uncle who immediately adopted him.

Although it took a bit of time for young Neji to warm up to his uncle and his two younger cousins, Neji soon became a part of the tiny family, easily filling the role of being the older brother to Hinata and Hanabi, and a son to Hiashi.

And like any other son, Neji, while naturally a polite and obedient man, has his moments of being proud and difficult. Today was definitely one of those days, as Neji paid no heed to his uncle's given stares.

Instead, the man continued eating his meal, inwardly hoping that his uncle was not going to appoint him as Hinata's driving instructor. He cursed under his breath when his uncle called for his attention.

Neji gradually turned his head toward his uncle, brows raised in feigned innocence. Sadly, his plan of acting like having no clue to whole scenario failed to work on Hiashi, when the man bluntly ordered him to 'teach Hinata to drive.'

"I refu—"

"Good. Now if you will all excuse me, I have papers that need to be done."

With a nod, Hiashi simply stood up, missing the way Hinata smiled apologetically at her older cousin, who looked like he was about to explode any second now for being casually ignored. Hanabi snickered at her cousin's reaction and smirked when Neji glared at her.

"Ah, and before I forget. Hanabi, you are to wash the dishes today." Hiashi declared.

Hanabi's smirk instantly morphed into a frown, whereas Neji gave her a mocking smile. Beside Hanabi, Hinata could only shake her head at the karma that befell her little sister.

**-OoO-**

Neji sighed exasperatedly as Hinata once again mistook the gas pedal for her clutch, therefore making the car, and the people inside, jump abruptly. At the very least, the seatbelts prevented him or his cousin from colliding with the car's headboard.

A slight crash was heard at the back, most presumably Hanabi, because the younger girl refused to wear her seatbelts, even when Neji ordered her to buckle it prior to the lesson.

He would have snapped. Really. But knowing that such an action will only increase Hinata's nervousness and therefore making her more prone to mistakes, Neji wisely chose to stay quiet and instead, labored his breathing to calm himself.

Unfortunately, Hanabi was different.

"Ouch! Damn, that hurt!" Hanabi complained as she rubbed her forehead and winced. She could already feel a bump slowly forming on the soft spot, and she cursed. "You are the worst driver ever, sis!"

"I-I'm so-o s-s-sorry, Ha-Hanabi..." Hinata stuttered, close to tears. "I-I'm really te-terrib-ble at thi-this, ar-aren't I?"

"Damn straight, you suck!"

"Enough!" Neji ordered sternly, successfully quieting both girls. "Hanabi, stop using such foul language and harassing your sister, or so help me, I will drag you out of this car."

Hanabi scoffed but dutifully sunk on her seat at the back. Neji eyed her for a moment using the rear mirror, before his gaze turned to Hinata, who instantly jumped at the attention.

"Hinata, start the car and do what I told you all over again."

Hinata nodded mutely and reached for the ignition. The car immediately roared to life the moment Hinata turned the key, and with a tick, the car's air condition started to work, slowly but surely cooling the inside of the car.

Another sigh escaped Neji's lips as Hinata mumbled to herself the instructions her older cousin had given to her. By the time Hinata gave herself an encouraging nod, the car was already cooled, which Neji was thankful for. The day was just too hot (seeing as it was mid-July) and he was sweating profusely.

Hinata slowly maneuvered the car, her concentration clearly set on the open road. It was Neji's idea to start the lessons in a well-secluded area, where Hinata could concentrate on the road alone, without having anyone to honk at her impatiently or yell at her for being incredibly slow.

"You're doing good," Neji assured, and at the corner of his eyes he saw Hinata's lips curve into a smile despite the tears still flowing on her cheeks. "Keep this up and shift to second gear."

"Yes, big brother." Hinata answered and moved to shift the lever, her actions looking more and more confident as she encountered no more mistakes.

Secretly, Neji was thankful that Hinata did not stutter when she replied, because whenever Hinata stuttered, she was bound to always commit an error or two. And if things go from bad to worse, Hinata would suddenly lose consciousness, and it would take a few minutes for her to wake up and recover.

At the thought, Neji frowned. If he were to think it thoroughly, Hinata was a traffic hazard in the waiting!

He massaged his temple as he wondered why on earth was Hiashi throwing his accident-prone daughter to the road, where dangers lurked and waited for a victim.

Neji thought of convincing his uncle to just drop this whole driving thing and assign a personal driver for Hinata. That would most certainly protect the girl. But one look at his cousin's determined face gave him pause.

Behind him, Hanabi cheered on as Hinata continued to drive, and when the older girl successfully parked the car, Neji concluded that perhaps teaching Hinata to drive was not exactly a bad thing after all.

That was until he ordered Hinata to back up and start all over again. With a nod, Hinata positioned her hands in the proper places. She adjusted the rear mirror and started to back the car. However, just as the vehicle moved backward, the three Hyuugas heard a loud yelp, followed by anguished cries.

Everyone in the car froze, until Hanabi rushed outside to check on what they just hit. Neji silently prayed that it was just a stray animal and the thing had probably scampered off to God-knows-where when the car hit it.

Beside him, Hinata was starting to fidget, her fingers pale and trembling as she tightly grasped the steering wheel. Neji wished Hanabi would hurry up and tell them that she was nothing significant, so they could start the lesson all over again.

"HOLY SHIT!" Hanabi suddenly exclaimed from outside. "WE JUST HIT A PUPPY!"

A gasp.

A thud.

And Neji cursed as Hinata fainted.

**-OoO-**

"Oh God, oh God, oh God... Big brother, drive faster! I think he stopped breathing!"

Neji's left eye twitched, but he did as he was told, slamming his foot against the pedal. At the passenger's seat sat Hanabi, with the battered puppy lying on her lap. The poor thing was now covered in a soft, wool-like cloth, most probably a shawl owned by one of the Hyuuga sisters.

Hinata, who was still unconscious, lay at the backseat, dead to the world.

Neji made a sharp turn around the corner as he was just as eager as Hanabi on taking the pup to a veterinarian. He chanced a glance at the puppy and noticed, to his horror, that it indeed looked like it stopped breathing.

But as if reading his mind, the puppy weakly wiggled in its place and whined pitifully again, as if to remind the three Hyuugas that it was hurt badly and it was all their fault.

Thud.

Hinata woke up, only to faint once more as soon as she heard the puppy's cries, leaving Neji to silently hope that she did not hit her head the moment she passed out.

By now, Hanabi was on the verge of crying, and Neji gripped the steering wheel tightly as he focused on the road.

He finally reached the clinic, and once he had parked the car, Hanabi hastily leapt from her seat, the wounded animal held tightly against her chest. A slight ringing of the bell was heard when Hanabi swiftly entered the veterinarian's clinic.

As for Neji, he decided to stay in the car to take deep, even breaths. He needed to calm himself; plus, he could not possible leave Hinata in the car, by herself, now could he? With a sigh, Neji moved to pinch the bridge of his nose. A headache was beginning to show, and it looked like it would not end any time soon.

**-OoO-**

By the time Hinata had finally woken up, the vet was no longer around.

"She's at the operating room, stitching the puppy up," Hanabi answered when Neji gave her an inquisitive stare. The girl fiddled with what looked like a small belt, and as Neji's questioning glance never wavered, Hanabi shrugged.

"The little guy has an owner."

"Ah," Neji replied, taking a seat at Hanabi's left. Wordlessly, Hinata took the seat at her younger sister's right. Neji then held his palm up, silently asking for the dog tag. Hanabi was quick to give it to him.

Examining the tag, Neji scowled as the only information engraved on the dog's license was the name, "Tobi", followed by a series of numbers that was most likely the owner's cellphone number.

"Have you made the phone call already?" Neji asked, earning a scandalized stare from his cousin.

"Are you mad?!" Hanabi screeched, making Hinata flinch. "What am I going to tell them, big brother? That my sister ran over their dog and now we're waiting to see if he'll live or not? Nuh-uh, I don't think so!"

Hinata whimpered in her seat, and to avoid another fainting incident again, Neji stood in his seat and growled.

"Fine. I'll do it."

Whipping his phone out of his pocket, Neji distanced himself from his two cousins before dialling the number in the tag. He heard the rings as he waited for someone to pick it up. By the third tone, a click was heard, and someone from the other side spoke.

"Sarutobi Konohamaru here. Who are you and what the hell do you want?"

The voice clearly sounded high-pitched and childish that Neji had to bite back a groan. This was trickier than he had expected, and he was beginning to feel his migraine coming back with a vengeance. Sighing, Neji began to explain.

**-OoO-**

The headache was inevitable. Neji thought as he sat heavily on the sofa.

The owner – Konohamaru, was it? – lashed on and on about how irresponsible Neji was for hitting a cute puppy as Tobi. And then, the boy went on a vicious tirade, saying that he was marching to the clinic right away and that Neji better pay up for everything because it was all his fault, damn it!

For his part, Neji remained quiet, knowing fully well that Konohamaru had a point – they were the ones at fault here. And so, like the proper gentleman his uncle had raised him to be, Neji took all the insults and answered in affirmation regarding the bills and whatnot.

Konohamaru's reply was a snort, followed by a click then a series of dial tones. The boy had hung up on him! Neji rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to throw his phone at Konohamaru, the moment the boy showed up.

Instead, he welcomed the blissful silence as he sat between his cousins. He knew, for sure, that once the loud owner arrived and be as obnoxiously loud as he was on the phone, the silence would be but a distant memory and a well-needed luxury.

A few minutes later, the ring of a bell jolted Neji out of his musings, and someone, a brown-haired boy about Hanabi's age, entered the room in haste. He swiftly moved to the counter and noticed that the doctor was not around.

Brown eyes scanned the room before landing on Neji and his cousins. The eldest Hyuuga moved to stand up and introduce himself, but he was surprised when Hanabi immediately sprung up from her seat and pointed a finger at the new arrival.

"YOU!"

She screamed, her voice mixing with the boy's, as he too had the same reaction as hers.

Hinata watched the pair curiously, lavender eyes gazing at her sister and then to the boy and then vice versa. Neji clenched his fist so hard that something cracked in his hold.

Startled, he glanced at his hand and noticed, to his dismay, that he had forgotten to pocket his phone back, and now, the tiny piece of technology in his hand had cracked into an even tinier piece.

This was, definitely, not his day.

And this was most probably the last time he'd indulge in his uncle's weird orders.

**-OoO-**

**NOTES: **

**-Edited a bit. Thanks to Guest for pointing that out!-**

**It's been more than a year since I wrote a NejiTen-related story. So here, hope you like! Also, NejiTen will be a given, of course; however, you can also suggest a pairing if you'd like, and I'll be more than willing to insert said pairing here.**

Oh, and lastly, I'm not good at driving, so if I committed mistakes, feel free to point them out. I'd also love some helpful comments, but flames shall be used to make cake because I need some cake in my system.

Anyways, Fruity out!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 2: Of Rivals and Crushes**

The battle, because there were no other words for it, was intense. Neither of the two showed any intention of backing down as their glares only intensified. The room was silent, save for the ticking of a wall clock, but the tension was almost physically palpable that Neji was not sure how he should react.

Hinata, on the other hand, seemed perfectly content to sit still and eye the two teens in front of her.

Finally, the boy sighed and clutched his forehead with the palm of his hand. Across him, Hanabi smirked, marking her victory for the staring battle. Konohamaru saw this, of course, and he scowled, as if telling his opponent that the war was not over yet.

"I should have known you would do something like this!" Konohamaru hissed, and the smirk on Hanabi's face morphed in to a frown.

"And just what do you mean by that?!" Hanabi demanded, crossing her arms on her chest.

"This!" The boy screamed, and he gestured wildly, "I know you've been aching for a revenge, but to take all of it out on Tobi?! You... You...!"

He snapped his fingers as he searched for the right word to describe the pale-eyed girl in front of him. His face turned an odd shade of purple, most probably from rage, although Neji wagered that the sudden coloration on Konohamaru's face was because the boy did not have enough words in his vocabulary, which could pass as an ultimate insult.

"You... you despicable person!"

He finished, lamely, in Neji's opinion. The Hyuuga wondered who would be _soft _enough to feel hurt by such a remark. Beside him, Hinata gasped, because she was... well, she was clearly hurt by such a remark. Neji sighed softly and resisted the urge to roll his eyes discreetly.

_Of course._

"I didn't even know it was your dog to begin with!" Hanabi shrieked, and for emphasis, she stomped her foot once. "And if I did, I would have asked my sister to run over it again and again and again!"

"Hanabi!" Hinata exclaimed, face turning pale at the thought of such a cruel act. Hanabi had the decency to cast a sheepish look at her sister, before turning to Konohamaru again.

The boy had frozen in his spot, mouth agape and index finger still pointing at Hanabi. When they boy finally recovered, he snapped his mouth so hard that every Hyuuga in the room could have sworn they heard enamel cracking.

"That's so low and mean!" Konohamaru spluttered. "But then again, you are an incredibly heartless witch to begin with, so why should I be surprised?"

Neji's left eye twitched. Oh sure, there were times when Hanabi grated his nerves so much and made him wish that strangulation was not a crime punishable by law. But still, they were family. And families stick to each other through thick and thin.

Therefore, Neji knew that this was where he had to stop this verbal argument, even if said argument looked childish and harmless and was initiated by two squabbling children (in his opinion).

"That is enough." He simply ordered coldly, making the two jump in surprise. He stood slowly before his cool gaze turned to Konohamaru, making the boy flinch.

"I take full responsibility for what has happened to your pet, and I sincerely apologize. However, I will not idly stand by and watch as you badmouth my cousin in front of me."

Konohamaru looked down in shame. Hanabi opened her mouth, to gloat most probably, but her older cousin had yanked her collar and forced her to get back to her seat.

She 'oomphed' as her behind landed not-so gently on the couch. Hanabi pouted and once again opened her mouth, this time to protest, but a glare from Neji held her back. Instead, Hanabi paused and crossed her arms defiantly. Neji took this as a sign to go back down to his own seat as well, while they wait for the doctor.

Silence once again ensued in the room, which suited the three Hyuugas just fine because all three were raised in a quiet environment. The Sarutobi child, on the other hand, seemed to find the silence to be uncomfortable and awkward.

He fidgeted in his seat first, before reaching out to his pocket to retrieve his phone. His face lit up once he got a hold of the device, and he began pushing buttons after buttons on his phone's screen – evidently, he was playing a game.

However, every time Konohamaru pushed a button, his phone would emit a peculiar 'tick' sound, and Neji was reminded that he needed to buy a new phone as well, because he just smashed his current one with his hand.

Pretty soon, Konohamaru became bored with his game, and the boy tucked his phone inside his pants' pocket. He swung his legs as he switched his gazes at the wall clock and the door that led to the operating room. Sometimes, he would check his phone for a message and make a reply whenever he received one.

Minutes passed before the silence was broken by the chime of the bell. In came another brown-haired stranger, hair wet and up in a hastily-tied ponytail, and she was wearing a pink shirt and tight black pants.

Brown eyes, much lighter in shade compared with Konohamaru's, swept the clinic before landing on Konohamaru. But before she could even speak, Konohamaru had sprung to his feet and came barrelling toward her.

"Sissy!" The boy called whiningly, making him more of a child than a fifteen-year-old. The Hyuugas, minus Hinata who only smiled slightly, raised their brows in astonishment, and both Hanabi and Neji had the same question running in their minds.

'_What the hell just happened to the loud brat who spouted half-baked insults just a while ago?'_

The lady, who had her back turned to the other three people in the room, returned Konohamaru's hug and whispered soothing words to the boy who was talking a mile per second, with only the words "Tobi" and "hit" clear in Neji's ears.

When the boy was finished with his dramatic tale, the lady moved to face the Hyuugas. Brown met lavender, and Neji could have sworn that his heart stopped for just a moment.

And then, he inwardly cursed both his luck and fate when her eyes widened in recognition.

**-OoO-**

The last time he had seen her, it was their high school graduation, and he felt extremely nervous as he clutched his speech and another piece of paper tucked neatly inside a folder.

He had made his uncle proud by rising to the top and becoming his batch's valedictorian. As such, he was required to make a valedictory speech, which he was going to deliver at the end of the graduation program.

He stared at the bunch of papers in his hand and sighed. He had already told the teacher that he did not need the script because he already memorized his speech. Heck, he made this speech, after all!

But the teachers only shook their heads and claimed that it looked better, aesthetically speaking, if Neji were to reach the podium with a few papers in his hand and look at the audience first before starting his speech.

Neji scowled at the idea but nonetheless accepted. He was not the type to argue with the teachers, after all.

However, Neji's nervousness was not about having to talk in front of many people; he'd done it many times before in debates, presentations, and the likes, after all. Rather, the source of his restlessness stemmed from the folder clutched tightly on his other hand.

Taking a shaky breath, Neji looked around, in hopes of spotting her. He soon found her, standing in front of their classroom door, eyes glazed in reminiscence. His heart rejoiced when he saw her and noticed that she was alone. _They_ were alone.

Steeling his resolve, he called out to her... and felt lightheaded the moment she laid eyes on him.

Sarutobi Tenten was their batch's Miss Popular. She was everything that boys wanted for a girlfriend and everything that girls aspired to be. She was not incredibly smart, but she was good in class nonetheless. She did, however, excel in sports, and she had this grace and fluidity that seemed natural every time she moved.

And most of all, she had this... enchanting smile that made Neji's heart beat just a little bit faster, his head a little bit lighter, and his nerves a little bit tingly.

She was dubbed the Golden Girl by her classmates, because she had won a lot of gold medals in the years she stayed in the school. Neji thought that the title suited her just fine but for the reason that her eyes looked almost golden, especially when she was happy.

And now, said Golden Girl was looking at him in surprise, before she gave him a dazzling smile. Cue the racing heartbeat, the sweaty palms, and the nervous shaking.

"Hyuuga-san!" She called merrily and jogged to meet him. "You're here!"

He coughed to hide his embarrassment, before offering her something.

"I... wanted to... give you this..." he stammered, before verbally chastising himself for staining the Hyuuga name. Stammering over a girl? For shame! Even if it was someone as perfect as Sarutobi-san, Neji was sure that his ancestors were all shaking their heads at him in disgrace.

And speaking of Tenten, she slowly took the papers in his outstretched hand, looked at them briefly, and then raised a finely shaped eyebrow.

"Hyuuga-san... what am I supposed to do with your graduation speech?"

Cheeks burning and feeling the desire to find the nearest hole where he could hide himself forever, Neji hastily took the papers from Tenten's hand, earning a slight chuckle from the girl. Then, he gave her the folder mutely, which she took.

Neji watched with bated breath as Tenten opened the folder and gasped at what was inside.

It was a sketch of her face, which Neji drew for months. He could still remember those nights when he slaved over the drawing. One moment, he was satisfied with the outcome, and the next, he was crumpling the paper and throwing it inside the trash, before starting all over again on another piece of paper.

It was a tedious process, and at some point, his right hand just stopped functioning, and whenever he forced it to work, said hand would twitch and ache. He had to be examined for it and was diagnosed with muscle sprain. He was, later on, advised to rest after that, which he did for five days before returning to his sketch.

His uncle said nothing, of course, but merely gave a questioning glance every time he chanced upon his nephew scratching furiously against the paper. Hinata, once she heard of Neji's plan from one grinning Hanabi, uncharacteristically squealed in delight before she caught herself and coughed to save herself from her awkward moment.

And Hanabi... Hanabi laughed and called him a wuss.

The little firecracker actually made fun of him for a week! And Neji's only consolation was that one time when she openly laughed at him, she laughed so hard she choked on her own saliva, making her face turn blue.

But now, seeing Tenten's face light up as she admired the drawing made Neji conclude that all those humiliating moments he spent with Hanabi were worth it. When Tenten smiled again, Neji felt he could already die in this moment and move up to heaven.

"Hyuuga-san! This is so beautiful!" Tenten gushed, her eyes still set on the drawing. "You have a very wonderful talent. I'm so jealous!"

"It's only beautiful, because I have a stu-stunning model..." He replied, and because being the recipient of Tenten's smile always made him breathless, Neji loosened his tie just a bit.

The girl flushed a light shade of pink, and she tucked a stray strand on her hair behind her ears as she shyly looked away.

"I don't think I look this good, Hyuuga-san," Tenten answered, her cheeks still pink.

Neji hastily shook his head. "Believe me when I say this, Sarutobi-san, but you... I do find you beautiful. To be honest, I..."

He trailed off just as Tenten looked at him expectantly.

"I..."

"Yes, Hyuuga-san?"

Neji coughed and took one good look at Tenten. She was still gazing at him, eyes wide and expectant. And along their conversation, Tenten had crossed their distance bit by bit. Now, she was inches away from him, already near enough for Neji to smell her strawberry shampoo.

And Neji did what every respectable gentleman was expected to do.

He immediately turned on his heel and ran as fast as his legs could carry, not even looking back once. Because if he did look back, he would have seen the pained look that flashed in Tenten's face.

Even after graduation and at the university, things had been the same.

He would plan on confessing, only to back out at the last minute. He only stopped pursuing Tenten when he heard the news that she was already dating someone from one of her classes – a man named Suigetsu, if Neji heard correctly.

Of course, when Neji heard of the news, his heart shattered to a million pieces. He spent months regretting and looking back on the what-ifs, before deluding himself in his studies and his other extracurricular activities.

**-OoO-**

"Hyuuga-san! It's been so long, hasn't it?" Tenten greeted ecstatically, smile already plastered on her face.

"Ye-yes," Neji replied automatically before clearing his throat. "It's been years actually. How are you?"

"Okay, I guess. No, wait. I'm more than okay! I mean, people always told me that it would be hard looking for a job, but I managed to snag one just a month after graduation!"

"Ah, how very lucky for you. I, too, will be starting tomorrow to work for my uncle."

"Really?" Tenten giggled happily as she took a seat. "That makes us both very lucky then! I mean, to think that–"

"STOP!" Konohamaru suddenly screamed as he raised both his of his arms to make a huge X mark. "This is getting really weird!"

And before Tenten could ask what exactly was weird, Konohamaru turned to her. "Why are you getting all chummy-chummy with the enemy?!" The boy immediately looked away to face Neji, not giving Tenten a chance to speak. "And why are you acting all friendly toward my sister, you creep!"

'_Sister?_' Neji thought as his eyes darted from Konohamaru to Tenten. True, they both had the same last name (and again, for shame that he did not even notice that the moment Konohamaru came in!), but they did not have the same features.

"Hey! My big brother's not a creep, you retard!" Hanabi hastily defended from the sidelines, shattering Neji's musings.

"Well, he is!" Konohamaru argued. "In fact, everyone in your family is a – urggh!"

The young boy never managed to finish, because in that precise moment, Tenten had pounced on him and trapped him in a fierce headlock.

"Konohamaru!" Tenten started, "I may not always reprimand you every time you act rude, but this 'enemy' you speak of is a dear classmate of mine. So I expect you to apologize to him this instant!"

Konohamaru resisted; instead, he wriggled and cursed as he tried looking for an escape. A few seconds of fruitless trying passed before he finally conceded, nodding dejectedly and letting out a grumbled 'sorry' the moment Tenten released him from her grip.

Neji nodded, taking the boy's apology, and glared at Hanabi to stop the girl from uttering a word. When Hanabi stayed silent, Hinata took this as her cue to speak.

"Uh...uhmm..." Hinata shyly said, earning her the attention of everyone in the room, "My na-name is Hinata... I-I'm Neji's cousin... It-It's nice to me-meet you, Miss..."

"Tenten," the brown-haired beauty replied smilingly. "Just Tenten please. It feels a little bit awkward being called 'miss'. " She laughed lightly, and Hinata eased just a bit. "Oh, and it's nice to meet you too... can I just call you Hinata?"

Hinata nodded, and the two reached out to shake hands.

Beside Tenten, Konohamaru grumbled something that suspiciously sounded like 'fraternizing with the enemy'. No one seemed to have heard him or he was simply ignored, so Konohamaru frowned and took his phone to look for games.

**-OoO-**

Conversation seemed to flow amicably, as Tenten and Hinata swapped stories, with Hanabi adding a sentence or two to the topic. Konohamaru remained sulking in his seat, phone in hand and a pout on his lips. Meanwhile, Neji remained seated on the couch, inwardly cursing fate over and over again for meddling in his life.

Moments later, the veterinarian finally emerged from the operating room, looking exhausted but nonetheless victorious. She seemed young, most probably in her late twenty's, but here face held a look of seriousness that gave her a more mature aura. Her long brown hair was tied in a ponytail and her lips were painted red.

And when she spoke to address the owner of the puppy, her voice sounded strong and firm, which demanded everyone's attention immediately. Tenten took the role as the puppy's owner, seeing as Konohamaru looked too shaken to speak to the doctor.

"He was hurt badly," the vet, who introduced herself as Inuzuka Hana, spoke. "Lucky for Tobi, these three managed to get him here fast. Otherwise, he would have been a goner!"

Konohamaru opened his mouth to tell the doctor that 'these three' were responsible for the injuries in the first place, but Tenten shushed him by placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking her head. Meanwhile, Neji raised a brow and wondered what lies Hanabi weaved to make them seem like passing bystanders and not the ones at fault for the injured pup. Hanabi merely gave him an innocent smile.

"However," Dr Hana continued, "Tobi will have to stay here in the meantime, so I can keep en eye on him. He'll be home in about two or three days, give or take."

"I understand," Tenten replied smoothly and graciously bowed at the doctor. "Thank you so much for helping Tobi."

"Just doing my job," Dr Hana said and gave Tenten a smile. "Now I'll need your contact number, just in case you want an update on your pup."

"Yes, of course." Tenten agreed and instantly filled out the papers handed to her by the veterinarian.

Soon, all five of them were out of the clinic, all looking relieved now that they knew Tobi was going to make it. Surprisingly, it was Hinata who broke the silence by incessantly apologizing to the Sarutobi siblings.

Tenten expertly waved the apologies off kindly, and pointed out that the Hyuugas have already more than compensated for the accident.

"You rushed him to the clinic instead of leaving him," Tenten explained to pacify Hinata. "And I'm thankful for that. Not to mention, you offered to pay for the expenses. Really Hinata, I am very grateful for your kindness."

"It was their fault to begin with!" Konohamaru argued, but Tenten gave him a look that had him sweating in buckets.

"Konohamaru, be honest with me," Tenten suddenly said, making Konohamaru jump. "Where were you when all this happened? Why wasn't Tobi on a leash?"

Konohamaru's sweat continued to drop like a waterfall as Tenten went on.

"You forgot to lock the gate again, didn't you? That's why Tobi was able to leave the house without anyone noticing."

Konohamaru did forget, but he was not going to admit it, oh no. He'd rather have all the blame go to the Hyuugas after all, but the look in his sister's eyes told him that she knew he forgot and he was going to have an earful by the time they reached home.

Miraculously, the boy was actually thankful when Neji joined in on their conversation.

"If it isn't a problem, Sarutobi-san," he said, in what he hoped was a casual manner, "but may I ask for your number? I would like to receive an update regarding Tobi's circumstances as well."

Tenten immediately brightened up at the idea, and Konohamaru sighed in relief that his sister was no longer giving him the glare.

"Of course, I don't mind Hyuuga-san! And please call me Tenten. Like I said Sarutobi-san sounds too formal for me. Come to think of it, I've always asked you to call me just Tenten back in high school!"

"Alright. But only if you'll call me Neji." The Hyuuga answered with a smirk, despite the fact that he inwardly cringed when Tenten mentioned high school. He reached for his phone... only to curse mentally. He had forgotten about the stupid thing being broken, damn it!

He coughed to hide his shame and gave Tenten the most convincing sheepish look he could create.

"I seemed... to have left my phone in the car. I'll be right back."

"No, wait. You can use my phone, big brother!" Hanabi offered immediately, shoving her phone against her cousin before he could speak.

Neji nodded, took Hanabi's phone, and saved Tenten's number, who saved his number in her own phone as well. Then, he offered to give the two Sarutobi siblings a ride home, which Tenten politely declined, saying that she and Konohamaru would walk home.

After a few more apologies (from Hinata) and reassurances (from Tenten), the two parties separated with a goodbye.

Only when they were a distance away and the three Hyuugas were inside their car did Hanabi suddenly whoop for joy, before giving her older cousin a silly grin.

"Big brother, I so totally so that!" She teased, making Neji's eye twitch. "You like her, don'cha?"

"Now that I think about it, she looked oddly familiar." Hinata piped in. "By any chance, was she the same person you made a drawing of way back, big brother?"

Neji's silence only confirmed the answer.

"Holy grandma on a stick! You can't be serious, sis!" Hanabi yelled dramatically and then squealed loudly when Hinata nodded. "Isn't this like, destiny or something, big brother? Oh God, how cheesy!"

Hanabi guffawed, whereas Hinata argued that it was not cheesy at all but rather very romantic! Neither sister seemed to have noticed that Neji now looked royally pissed off as he inwardly cursed fate over and over again.

And he wondered if perhaps the hole he had been looking for way back in high school was officially dug out and ready for him.

**-OoO-**

**NOTES!**

Wow, you guys made me so happy that I could tiptoe on a field of tulips while strumming my ukulele. THANK YOU! Oh, and the whole confession thing in high school? True story, babe. Happened between two of my closest friends, and I sat there and watched as the story unfolded. And yes, the guy did chicken out, leaving me and my gal pal to laugh at him. xD

Mhm, and oh yes! I watched Road to Ninja two days ago, and there was this scene where they (Konoha 11 plus Sai and Kakashi) were fighting with the Akatsuki. And then Tenten was fighting Hidan. She tried to hit him, but the guy managed to evade in the nick of time.

Tenten: We're not going to let you escape this time!

Hidan makes a move to counter, but suddenly! (A wild) Hyuuga Neji appears behind Hidan! And Neji gave this smile and a nod, then said, "No, we won't."

And... and... I miss him all of a sudden. Yes, he is just a fictional character, I know. But still... ack, the feels! THE FEELS!

-cough-

Okay, I should end this. Crap, I'm making my notes a personal diary already. So uhh, hope you enjoyed? xD


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 3: Of Squealing Girl Friends and Regressing Uncles**

"He said he just doesn't feel the spark anymore! After that, he left me and went back to his ex! Guys, I feel so used!"

Yamanaka Ino wailed loudly, earning her curious glances and raised brows from a few patrons of the cafe. Across the grieving blonde, Haruno Sakura offered some tissues to the girl, whereas Tenten tried to console Ino by rubbing her back soothingly.

"A scumbag like him doesn't deserve you, Ino," Sakura declared righteously, and Ino sniffed in reply. "Guys like him should just, drop dead, you know?"

Ino nodded tearfully, blonde hair bouncing along, as she reached for another piece of tissue.

"Eh, if he wanted to see some sparks, he should have just told me. I'd be more than happy to have him electrocuted." Tenten added jokingly and smiled when Ino giggled softly.

Sakura laughed as well, and pretty soon, the three girls were giggling happily. Once Ino had calmed down somewhat, Sakura spoke once more.

"Don't cry anymore, okay? Forget that asshole and move on. Besides, I heard there's a sale at the mall today. We should check it out."

Ino sniffed once and dabbed her tear-stained cheeks with another ply of tissue, before she replied. "You sure know how to make me smile, Sakura."

"I've known you since Kindergarten, Pig. Of course I know what to do with you." Sakura said in jest. Her viridian eyes sparkled in amusement when Ino huffed and pouted at the nickname Sakura had given her.

"Oh, shut up Forehead!" Ino replied, and as emphasis, she flicked Sakura's rather large forehead. The rosette swatted her friend's hand playfully, and the shared a laugh at their own silliness.

"As much as I love you guys, I don't think I'll ever want to go shopping with you two again. I value my sanity, thank you very much." Tenten commented and smirked when her two friends shared a mock-hurt expression on their faces.

"But it's much better with you around!" Ino whined and instantly locked her arms around Tenten's left arm. Sakura followed suit on the brunette's opposite arm.

Then, both rosette and blonde stood up, forcing Tenten to stand along with them.

"Shopping time!" Sakura and Ino sang simultaneously, making Tenten cringe. "Come and join us, Tenten!"

When Tenten groaned, the two laughed heartily.

"I swear, you two remind me of "The Shining's" twin girls." Tenten muttered grumpily, as she let herself be tugged along by Sakura and Ino. [1]

"Oh God," Sakura mumbled, whereas Ino shuddered, "quit reminding me of that movie, Ten! Every time someone mentions that movie, I can't help but remember the creepy parts in it!"

"Ooohhh... and remember that part when—"

"Yes, Ino. I remember that part very well because like I said, that movie will forever haunt me for the rest of my life because every bit of it is tattooed in my brain. Now can we please not talk about the movie-that-shall-not-be-named-in-my-presence?"

"That's a mighty long name for The Shining, don't you think?"

"Tenten, I'm warning you! Any more about it and I will –"

Whatever the coral-coloured beauty had to say, it was interrupted by a shrill tone that came from Tenten's phone.

The brunette immediately reached for it as Ino automatically released Tenten's left arm. The former scanned her message and typed in her reply before pressing the 'Send' button. Then, she gave her friends a wide grin.

"Well," Tenten started, "I now have a very legitimate reason not to go with you guys! That was the vet just now, and she wanted me to come over and check in on Tobi."

"Vet? Tobi? What happened to Tobi?" Sakura asked, releasing her grip on her friend, whereas Ino demanded Tenten's phone as proof.

"Poor pup got run over," Tenten explained and handed her phone to Ino, who fussily checked her inbox for the needed evidence. "Luckily, he's ok now."

"Run over!" Sakura exclaimed. "Did you know who did it?"

"Oh, right!" Tenten suddenly gasped as she wrestled her phone from Ino's clutches. "I have to tell him too. He wanted me to update him about Tobi."

Ino's ears perked up and she grinned widely at Tenten. Seeing this and getting the blonde's point, Sakura raised a brow as well and gave Tenten an impish smile.

"Him, Tenten? So it was a guy?"

"Yes, Ino. It was a guy. Unless of course, he happened to be lesbian and had undergone sex change and stuff."

"That's technically impossible," Sakura intervened, silly smile still intact. "Women cannot undergo sex change like men can." [2]

Tenten actually stopped her texting and scowled at Sakura. "Really? That's a bit sexist, don't you think?"

"A bit. But Tenten, dear, you are stalling," Ino purred coyly before she grabbed both her friend's shoulders and eyed Tenten seriously. "So spill, Tenten! Who is he? Is he younger or older than you? Is he married, single, or seeing someone? And more importantly, is he hot?"

Tenten merely shrugged and resumed typing her message, fully knowing that Ino was about to burst. When she was done, Tenten pocketed her phone and looked at Ino squarely.

"If you must know, it was Hyuuga Neji-san. Remember him? He was our classmate back in high school."

Ino's face drew a blank, but Sakura snapped her fingers. "Hyuuga-san! Yes, I remember him. He was the student council's president, wasn't he?"

Tenten nodded. "That's the one."

"Eeeh?! You mean that overly serious guy who would rather curl up and die than talk to other people?! That guy?!"

"Ino, you are exaggerating. To the extreme, if I may add."

"Nuh-uh!" Ino replied, furiously shaking her head. "When I politely asked him what conditioner he used to make his hair super shiny, he glared at me Ten! GLARED at me!"

The brunette had to raise a brow.

"Well..." Tenten said, smiling just a bit. "From a guy's point of view... your question made him look like he was gay, Ino, so..."

The brunette trailed off, but Sakura was quick in agreeing. "Ten's right, and besides. Since when have you been polite, Piggy?"

Ino pouted. "I can be polite, Forehead!" She replied hotly and earned a few snickers from her friends. "And you said he was in the student council, right? That proves it! Everyone knows that people from the student council are too serious and too obnoxious for their own good!"

"Uchiha-san was part of the council. He was vice-president, remember?" Tenten piped in and huffed when Sakura and Ino both shared dreamy looks as they reminisced about 'Uchiha-san'.

As Tenten was their 'Golden Girl', Uchiha Sasuke was dubbed as the class' 'Prince', mostly by the girls of course. After all, the boy had the power to make any girl squeal and faint what with his dark locks, sharp obsidian eyes, and God-chiselled jaw that could cut through butter.

He was also an unstoppable force in the field of sports, thus earning him the respect from guys as well. And although he only ranked second – academically speaking, of course, because Neji was the first – the Uchiha was still more popular than the Hyuuga, seeing as Neji was just not the type to flaunt about his good looks.

"Sasuke-kun's an exception to the rule, Ten," Ino boldly declared as Sakura nodded along. "Everyone knows that."

"Guys, seriously? Still hung up on that guy? Really?" Tenten huffed in annoyance and then placed both hands on either side of her hips. "Well, Sakura was the secretary!"

Ino shrugged and disinterestedly examined her nails. "And that actually proves my point."

Emerald eyes glared, but the blonde paid no heed.

"Hey, I resent that!"

"I'm just saying," Ino continued on, ignoring the seething Sakura, "that Hyuuga-san isn't the friendliest person in the planet, so I'm a little disappointed."

At Tenten's questioning stare, Ino finished her speech. "I was kinda hoping that the guy who ran over Tobi was, like, your destined lover or something. You know, like those in romance novels? Meeting by chance, a stroke of luck, by fate, and whatever thingies I failed to mention."

Tenten sighed. "That sounds more like a fairytale than real life, Ino."

"Oh hush! I'm just worried about you. I mean, you stopped dating after you and Suigetsu broke up, after all."

The brunette froze for a second upon hearing the name, before she immediately schooled her features and tried to look nonchalant about it. It worked, and Tenten was thankful that neither Sakura nor Ino saw the whirlwind of emotions that must have shown in her face a while ago.

"Yeah, come to think of it..." Sakura wondered out loud. "You never really told us why you two ended things."

"I didn't?" Tenten asked in surprise, before shrugging her shoulders. "Sorry, but it wasn't all that dramatic. He just had to move for his job, and we both agreed that long distance relationships don't usually work out."

Sakura frowned, but Ino fervently nodded her head in agreement.

Another shrill tone rang, and Tenten was quick to check her phone once more. She read the message, then gave her two friends a small, and somewhat apologetic, smile.

"That was Neji. Sorry guys, but I really have to go."

The brunette turned and ran the opposite direction, most probably to the clinic. She left her friends rather hastily, not even bothering to give Sakura or Ino any time to speak.

The two watched Tenten go, before Sakura turned to Ino.

"Huh, guess it's just you and me, Piggy." Sakura joked. But seeing as the blonde never made a reaction, Sakura paused to look at Ino, who looked at the direction Tenten had gone with a glazed look in her eyes.

Sakura snapped her fingers in front of her friend. It took a while, but the rosette finally jolted the blonde from her musings.

"What?" Ino asked in confusion and then looked at Sakura, who had crossed her arms on her chest.

"Pig," Sakura huffed in annoyance. "I am not your personal alarm clock, so don't expect me to wake you up every time you go off to Tra-La-La-Land! What gives, anyway?"

Ino scoffed. "If you must know, Forehead, I was just thinking!"

"Oh I get it. And then your brain malfunctioned, right?" Sakura joked, and ignored Ino's glares. "But wow. You were _thinking_. That's a surprise. What about?"

"I was _thinking_," Ino declared loudly, ignoring the slightly insulting comment from Sakura, "since when did our Tenten call Hyuuga-san as just Neji?"

**-OoO-**

He was tired.

Neji knew that his first day of the job would be stressful, hard, and strenuous, even if it was one of the lowest positions offered in the company. He was a new employee, after all, so even if he was the nephew of the company's owner, Neji still had to undergo what other newbies had to.

Not that he minded, heaven's no.

He was a hardworker by nature; therefore, the task, which was bookkeeping, given to him was performed without any complaints coming from his lips. He was also an intelligent and efficient man that by the end of lunch, he was able to finish his work easily, surprising the higher-ups in the process.

But no, the job itself was not the cause of Neji's stress. Rather, it was his uncle who was the source of it all.

Because throughout the whole day, Hiashi found it appropriate to breathe down on his nephew's neck, on the context that he was supervising Neji. The man only left, satisfactorily at that, when Neji mechanically enumerated the company's policies, when Hiashi asked (note: demanded) it from him, only to come back sometime before lunch to ask Neji what the company's vision and mission were.

The things his uncle did unnerved him. So much. That Neji was actually very, very, _very_ thankful when the man had to stay for a few more hours in the building for a meeting, so Neji had to drive home without his uncle.

The Hyuuga promptly plopped on the couch, once he was finally home, despite it being very out of character for him to be this... lax. Pride be damned, Neji was Tired (with a capital T), and he achingly yearned to rest right now.

He groaned and covered his eyes with an arm, before dozing off. Minutes later, he felt the couch dip slightly because of someone else's weight. When he opened one pearly orb, he found Hanabi sitting at the edge of the couch and giving him a wide grin.

"Rough first day, big brother?" Hanabi asked with a grin. When Neji grunted, the little firecracker continued her interrogation. "Father gave you a hard time, didn't he?"

Neji exhaled loudly and closed his eyes, whereas Hanabi laughed lightly. Hinata soon joined in, carrying a tray of home-baked desserts and a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade.

Hanabi momentarily forgot to tease her older cousin as she squealed in delight, before attacking the goodies that her older sister brought. Hinata giggled and offered a piece of brownie to Neji.

"Take it, or else Hanabi will devour it," Hinata advised kindly, and when Neji finally rose to a sitting position and took the offered dessert, Hinata continued conversationally. "You know father can be quite strict, especially when it comes to work, big brother. Don't take it too personally. Please."

A scoff.

"Hinata, he waited for me while I was at the men's room. And when I asked him what he needed, he simply asked me to name the company's objectives."

"Then aside from being strict, father is also a very dedicated man."

"While I was driving for home, he called, Hinata. And he reminded me to set my alarm clock so I wouldn't be late for tomorrow."

A snicker from Hanabi was heard.

"We-Well... fa-father i-is also ver-very punc-punctual a-and.."

"Face it, sis," Hanabi cut in, mouth full of chewed cookies, "father's slowly entering the regression stage. Pretty soon, we'll have to hire a nanny patient and willing enough to handle him and his eccentricities."

"Ha-Hanabi! That wa-was very ru-rude of yo-you!"

"She speaks the truth though," Neji grumbled under his breath, earning him a betrayed look from Hinata. Meanwhile, Hanabi seemed very amused. "I swear, if uncle calls again, I will –"

Neji never finished because his phone (a newly bought one, of course) vibrated in his pocket. The male Hyuuga looked royally pissed off as he yanked his phone out of his pocket and proceeded to transfer all of his anger on the technology's touch screen.

Beep.

And then...

"Yoooooooosh! Neji-kun, it has been long since we've sparred! Come, youthful rival, we shall –" [3]

Beep.

Neji broke the call immediately, hands already shaking in anger. Beside him, Hanabi snorted.

"Careful with that or you'll break another one," Hanabi said smilingly. Hinata, on the other hand, was already preparing herself for the onslaught that was to come once all of Neji's bottled anger erupts.

Beep.

When the tone rang once more, Hinata slowly edged away from her older cousin, whose waves of anger became too obvious that if they were in an anime, Neji by now would be steaming in blue aura-like waves.

But then, a miracle happened. The volcano that was Hyuuga Neji did not erupt, no sirree. Instead, the active volcano abruptly calmed down until it was no longer spewing smoke and lava, leaving the people (Hinata and Hanabi) to awkwardly stare at it and wonder what in hell's name just happened.

The two girls both stared incredulously as Neji's aura transformed from a painful tenketsu-point sealing technique to a tranquil sight of a freed caged bird. And... and... oh, gracious heavens from above, there was a smile on the young man's face as he read the message he just received!

Soon, he pocketed his phone and immediately stood up with newly found vigor. He grabbed his keys and left the room in haste, but not before telling his speechless cousins that he was needed somewhere. (The two girls could only nod, but by then, Neji was already on his way to his car, a not-so visible bounce on his steps, but a very noticeable smile on his lips).

It was only when Neji started the engine and was already out of the garage did Hanabi finally snap out of her trance.

"The fuck just happened?" The young girl demanded, eyes still locked on the door where her older cousin left a while ago.

Hinata, miraculously, did not even flinch at Hanabi's choice of words. Instead, the girl also stared, wide-eyed, at the empty space where Neji was a few minutes previously.

"I-I think... I thi-think that was Te-Tenten just now..."

**-OoO-**

**NOTES:**

**[1] **I watched The Shining when I was around... seven? Yeah, those twins creeped the jeepers out of me.

**[2] **About this, I'm not really sure, but I do recall one of my instructors mentioning this. Then again, that was like... three years ago, and I'm not sure if this is still the truth regarding sex change. After all, the field of medicine is always improving, so maybe it's already possible for women, right?

**[3]** I think we all know who this is. For **pusa**, because she wanted LEE here to spread the youth. YOOOSH!

Anyway, short chapter is short. And I regret to inform everyone that most of the chapters from now on will be as short as this. However, if I promise to update this weekly, will that stop you guys from hunting me down? xD

Oh, and as always, thank you very much for the reviews! And seeing as I had a few anon reviews, let me use this corner to thank you guys personally!

Dianananana: Thank you. And I've read that story too! It's absolutely amazing, isn't it?

Guest: Thank you very much!

Ichigo-chan: Thank you. And ahh.. fluff and fluffies. You can never get enough of them.

Monzie: Thank you. And I will continue it, of course.

HS: Thank you. Mhm, fate. That word will forever remind me of angsty Neji. xD

Guest: Thank you very much!

Anonymous: Thank you, thank you. I'll try to update this every week, maybe around Saturday or Sunday.

Guest: Oh wow, thank you for pointing that out. I appreciated it very much.

**ANYHOW. Please review and tell me what you think. Feedbacks are always appreciated. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**WARNING! **Rated **T **for language.

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 4: Of Obvious Matchmaking and The Power of YOUTH!**

When Neji arrived at the clinic, Tenten was already there with Dr Hana. The two ladies looked like they were having a deep conversation, but when the chime signalled Neji's arrival, Tenten looked up and gave Neji a huge smile as she beckoned him to come closer.

The young Hyuuga did not even notice that he had reached the distance in four long strides. But Dr Hana did, and she hid her discovery inwardly and instead gave the two a small smile.

"We were waiting for you!" Tenten said as soon as Neji was near. "Dr Hana was just telling me that Tobi's recovering well."

The veterinarian nodded and gestured toward the recovery room for the pets. "Indeed. If you want, you can actually go and see him."

Tenten immediately brightened at the prospect of seeing her pet that she did not even wait for the other two to catch up. Instead, she skipped to the room, a huge grin on her face.

Neji smiled at Tenten's retreating form, finding her glee to be very contagious. He did not even realize that he was simply staring, not until Dr Hana patted the back of his shoulders and let out an amused chuckle.

When Neji gave her a questioning glance, the doctor shook her head, amusement still etched on her pretty face. "It's nothing, don't mind me," Dr Hana reassured, although her eyes twinkled once more and the smile on her lips never wavered.

The pale-eyed young man nodded unsurely, but nonetheless, moved to where Tenten had gone. Dr Hana eyed him for a moment, before she shook her head again, very much entertained by the Hyuuga's obvious infatuation.

**-OoO-**

The first thing that Neji noticed about Tobi was that the pup was actually, kind of, cute.

Covered in thick fur the color of chestnuts, the little puppy was simply a bundle of energy! He wiggled his tiny tail when he caught sight of Tenten and whined as he pleaded his mistress to free him from the cage.

When Dr Hana did unlock the cage, the pup bounced out of the steel prison, before leaping his way into Tenten's open arms. His tail never stopped waggling as he cuddled in his owner's chest, whereas Tenten cooed at him and hugged him back.

Then, Tobi spotted Neji and pawed at thin air, as if asking the young man to come closer.

"Tobi wants you to pet him, Neji!" Tenten giggled as Neji raised a brow at the young dog. As if to prove her point, Tobi let out a yip, as if saying, "Tobi's a good boy, come pat me!"

Slowly, Neji neared Tenten and her puppy. He shared eye contact with the animal before his hand reached out hesitantly. When his palm landed on Tobi's crown, he awkwardly patted the puppy mechanically, hoping that said animal would not bite his hand.

Fortunately for him, Tobi seemed satisfied with the petting, and he wagged his chubby tail to tell Neji that he was enjoying the Hyuuga's attention. Tenten giggled softly, knowing that Tobi had already enchanted Neji with his cuteness.

On the other hand, Neji discovered that petting was actually... relaxing. Plus, the fact that Tobi seemed perfectly content with the strokes made Neji feel more at ease, until such time, the man's strokes no longer seemed as heavy and as awkward as before.

But the soothing situation all changed when Neji reached out to the left side of the puppy's face.

The Hyuuga simply wanted to fix the unruly fur that clumped altogether, therefore covering the animal's left eye. Neji just wanted to untangle the fur, but what he found made him jump in shock.

The puppy had no left eye! Instead, there was only a hollow indentation of where the left eye was supposed to be, which meant...

_Oh God..._

_Oh God!_

He just blinded an innocent dog! Well, technically, it was Hinata who blinded an innocent dog, but it was him who took the blame for his cousin, and now this puppy was going to live the rest of his life missing an eye!

And Tobi was not just anyone's puppy, oh no. Fate had to be a bitch and assigned _Tenten_, of all people, to be the pup's owner.

Shit! Fuck! Damn!

Tenten, seeing as Neji froze on spot and turned abnormally blanched, raised a brow and looked at Dr Hana for an explanation. The doctor shrugged before pointing at her own left eye.

The Sarutobi lady looked confused at first before her eyes widened in understanding.

"Neji, no," Tenten immediately placated and was relieved when the Hyuuga turned his pale eyes on her. "Tobi's always had a missing eye. It was a birth defect of some sort, and that's why Konohamaru and I are always so protective over him. It's not your fault."

Neji nodded, but he did not look too convinced. For one, he was still abnormally pale, his posture was stiff and uncomfortable, and his eyes were still shaking in shock.

Sighing softly, Tenten reached out to lightly touch Neji's arm, making Neji focus his eyesight on her once more.

"I mean it, Neji. It's not your fault, okay?"

When Neji nodded again, minus the flabbergasted look on his face, Tenten released her hold on him. Neji tried to control the tingles shooting up and down his arm at the light contact, and instead stayed paralyzed on his spot, watching Tenten watching him.

The spell only broke when Tobi yipped and selfishly demanded the attention back from both humans.

Neji was quick to pat the animal's head, whereas Tenten used her now free hand to tickle the pup's tummy. Neither noticed that Dr Hana had to duck her head to hide the silent snickers she made as she watched the scene between Hyuuga and Sarutobi.

Then, it was not long before the veterinarian reminded the two that the clinic was going to close soon. Tenten looked conflicted for a moment, not wanting to leave her pup inside the clinic all alone, but the veterinarian assured the young woman that Tobi was going to be fine on his own.

"I left some toys for him to play with in his cage," Dr Hana said, pointing at the chew toy inside Tobi's temporary home. "And I promise I'll contact you as soon as possible for any updates, alright?"

Reluctantly, Tenten nodded. She placed a kiss on her pet's head before carefully putting him inside the cage. She patted the dog while telling him to 'be a good boy and recover fast, okay little buddy?'

The dog barked once in affirmation.

**-OoO-**

They were almost out of the clinic when Dr Hana had to rush back inside, saying that she left something important in her office.

Tenten just smiled, whereas Neji nodded at the doctor. However, the Hyuuga had a distinct feeling that the veterinarian was planning something else. When the doctor winked at him before disappearing inside her office, Neji instantly knew that his suspicions were correct.

"I'm really glad Tobi's healing pretty fast," Tenten mused out loud, making Neji turn to her.

"Animals recover faster than humans, I believe," Neji answered, "so I guess this isn't really surprising."

"Really?" Tenten said in amazement, her eyes widening in surprise. "That's so cool!" She breathed out when Neji only nodded.

A comfortable silence ensued between the two, before Neji coughed. "It's getting late," he said and motioned to the now-setting sun. "Allow me to drive you home."

Tenten looked ready to decline, but Neji was quick enough to usher the girl to his car. "I would not feel at ease if you do not let me, Tenten. Please, just indulge me."

The girl pouted cutely but nonetheless slid inside the car to sit at the passenger's seat. When Neji settled in the driver's seat, Tenten graced him with a huge grin.

"Still the gentleman, I see. It's good to know you haven't changed one bit!"

Neji smirked at her but did not reply as he slowly revved up the engine.

**-OoO-**

It turned out that Tenten's place really was not that far away from the clinic. Her home was situated in one of the many subdivisions in their city; a rather small abode, if you compare it with the Hyuuga's mansion-like house, but it definitely looked more homely and cozier.

He stopped the car, just in time for the gates of Tenten's house to open. Out came Sarutobi Hiruzen, Tenten's grandfather, with Konohamaru in tow.

Now Neji knew the old man, partly because he was related to Tenten (and Neji actually reached the point where he knew almost _anything _about Tenten way back in high school), and mostly because the man was the principal of the school during Neji's high school years.

The senior Sarutobi was a fair man, and every teacher in the school had high regards for him; heck, even the creepy Biology teacher Orochimaru respected him! And although quite old, Hiruzen was definitely wise and perceptive (but there was this rumor circulating along that the old man used to be quite a pervert. No teacher actually claimed it true, nor did they deny it.).

And Neji found that he felt slightly uncomfortable when Hiruzen regarded him with a knowing glance, the old man's gaze darting from his granddaughter to the Hyuuga.

"Good evening, grandpa!" Tenten greeted jovially as she skipped to her grandfather. She placed a kiss on the old man's cheek, before reaching out to ruffle Konohamaru's unruly locks. "Hey Konohamaru!"

Konohamaru whined and swatted his sister's hand away. Hiruzen laughed at his grandchildren, before he approached Neji.

"Oh grandpa! That's –"

"I know, I know." Hiruzen said and gave Neji a friendly smile. "Hyuuga Neji, I believe?" At Neji's nod, the old man laughed good-naturedly. "Batch 2007's valedictorian, of course. Thank you for bringing my dear Tenten home. I hope she was of no trouble?"

"Grandpa!"

"No, not at all," Neji replied smoothly. "Although she was very chatty during the whole way here..."

"Neji!"

"That she is!" Hiruzen laughed once more, ignoring his pouting granddaughter. "Ah, we were just having dinner, my boy. Come and join us."

Neji shook his head respectfully. "Thank you sir, but I will have to decline. My uncle is expecting me home."

"I'm sure your uncle won't mind, Neji. Now come and join us. I insist!"

The Hyuuga raised a brow as he assessed the old man coolly. Was it just him, or was Hiruzen forcing him to join dinner with them? He was about to say something when Konohamaru butted in.

"He doesn't want to join grandpa! Quit pressuring him!" Konohamaru grumbled.

Hiruzen frowned for a moment before nodding once. "Ah, yes. It did sound like I was coercing you back then," the old man mumbled to himself, then gave a warm smile. "Do forgive this old man, Neji."

"You don't have to apologize, sir. I wasn't offended at all."

"That's good to know..." the old man huffed in relief before turning his gaze to his grandchildren. "Well then, shall we eat?"

Hiruzen thanked Neji one more time before disappearing inside the house. Once the old man had his back turned, Konohamaru gave Neji a dirty glare and reached out to tug his sister's hand.

"Sissy, let's go. Or else the food will get cold."

Tenten nodded but smiled at Neji first. "Thanks again for the ride, Neji!"

Neji murmured a 'no problem', and the last thing he saw, before Konohamaru firmly closed the gate, was Tenten's enchanting smile.

**-OoO-**

When Tenten gave him another update on Tobi's health, it was a Wednesday.

And... And Lee was with him, because the lively man bemoaned that he and Neji had not bonded in a long time and today was definitely the day they embrace the springtime of their youth! Therefore, the man actually waited until Neji finished his work at the company, leaving Neji with no choice and reason to avoid him.

And because Neji already established that fate was a bitch when it came to him, Tenten soon texted later, saying that Dr Hana had some news on Tobi. Having no choice, Neji brought Lee along, who positively beamed when Neji relayed to him the whole story.

"How very noble of you to help such a defenceless creature!" Lee announced, sobbing slightly. "As expected of you, dear roommate of mine!"

Neji's response was a grunt.

When the pair arrived, Tenten was already there with Konohamaru by her side. The two siblings did not look like they were talking, as Konohamaru was busily looking at his phone, whereas Tenten had her eyes closed as she listened to some music in her iPod.

And once Neji parked the car safely, Lee sprung out of the vehicle and bounced toward Tenten and Konohamaru, who both looked confused at the sudden arrival of a man in green spandex.

Neji felt his heart sink...

"Oh you must be the glorious Miss Tenten whom I have heard so much from my roommate! You are indeed a beautiful blossom, and I am most certainly captivated by your loveliness!"

And his dignity sunk along with his heart, but not before it was stuffed inside a blender and shredded into tiny, tiny pieces.

"A-ah... yes... My name is Tenten..." the poor girl trailed off, her eyes glued on Lee's enormous and wiggling eyebrows. "Uhhm... Nice to meet you...?"

"I am Rock Lee!" Neji's closest (well, according to Lee anyway) friend declared enthusiastically. "And it is such a pleasure to have met your acquaintance, dear lotus who has captured my eternal rival's heart!"

"Ex...Excuse me?" Tenten asked unsurely, but Lee only gave her a thumb's up in reply.

And then, Lee gave the siblings a wide smile. His pearly whites, as strange as it may sound, pinged at shone brightly like rare jewels. Tenten smartly looked away as a bright array of light almost burned her retina. Konohamaru, bless his unfortunate soul and his even more unfortunate eyes, was not quick enough to look away like his sister.

The poor boy groaned and panicked as he was momentarily blinded by Lee's award-winning, toothpaste commercial-worthy, smile.

Neji was about to do something (along the lines of physically hauling Lee away from Tenten and Konohamaru), when Dr Hana cut him off by telling them that Tobi's medicine had already been administered and that the pup was finally ready to receive his guests.

Lee positively glowed at the news.

"How wonderful! I would love to see such youthful creaturein action! Yoooosh!"

He gave another sight-stealing smile at the Sarutobis. And this time, both Tenten and Konohamaru were ready. The former, as always, looked away, whereas the latter actually turned around, closed his eyes tightly, and counted to twenty.

Then, Lee skipped merrily inside to visit Tobi, leaving behind one flabbergasted Tenten, a severely confused Konohamaru, and an extremely humiliated/annoyed Neji.

A few moments of golden silence passed before it was shattered by a loud crash and a few shouts of apologies from Lee. Then, a yelp from a puppy came next, and Tenten was suddenly hurrying inside.

More crashes ensued, and both Neji and Konohamaru wisely stayed glued to their spots.

"You have a weird friend," Konohamaru suddenly spouted, a few minutes later. "And he wears spandex!"

"He has his moments. But he is indeed a trustworthy man," was the Hyuuga's simple answer.

"He wears bright green spandex!"

"Lee works out."

"In a bright green, body-clinging spandex?!" Konohamaru yelled incredulously before pulling a disgusted face. "Gross!"

'Yes. And the images of him running around your shared room in said spandex while sweating profusely will make you wish you were blind.' Neji wanted to add but quickly decided against it. The boy was already... ah, scarred, by Lee's teeth pinging, after all.

Instead, the two men stood on their spots as another crash was heard.

**-OoO-**

**NOTES:**

That awkward moment when someone calls your name and you turn around, only to find that you were not the addressee of the call but someone who has the same name as yours.

-sigh-

I wish my parents gave me an extra cool, extra unique name.

ANYWAY! I'm still jumping around in the field of daisies while conversing with **madin456 **about Neji as a POKEMON! Oh yeah! xD

-cough-

Uhhh...On to my replies for anon reviews!

**Ichigo-chan:** What crappy analogy are you talking about? I get what you mean, so there's nothing crappy about it. And I'm glad to know that Lee's bit made you smile. Hopefully, with this chapter, I made you smile once more. xD

**Guest: **I'm having fun writing him in OOC mode too! But eh, I should turn it down now. Seriously. Or else Neji will Jyuuken me till I scream uncle. xD

**marissa: **Thank you! I'll try and be ambitious and update this weakly... errr, I mean WEEKLY! Yeah... weekly. -cough-

Anywho, reviews are always loved, constructive criticisms are always appreciated, and flames are going to be used for my bonfire party/campfire to cook some barbecue (with **pusa** bringing along some marshmallows and hotdogs! Yum!).


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**WARNING! **Rated **T **for language.

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 5: Of Conniving Uncles and Sexual Innuendos**

It was a Friday noon when Neji received a message from Tenten, saying that Tobi was finally going to be discharged soon. The Hyuuga could tell that the pet owner was extremely excited to have her pup back, seeing as she added seven smileys in her text message.

(Not that he counted, of course. The number was just mere speculation.)

However, and much to his disappointment, Neji still had four more hours until his work was finished. Therefore, he would not be able to accompany Tenten and Tobi like always, which was a shame, really, because today marked the day when he would see Tenten for the last time. Unless of course he asked her out on a date, but that would be inappropriate. After all, he was not even sure what Tenten's current relationship status as of the moment.

But he also noted the lack of male companions, except for Konohamaru, every time he and Tenten met, and such a discovery fanned his hopes that Tenten was already single (and hopefully, ready to mingle). Now all he needed was the right... moment to ask the girl out, but will he be given that chance?

Neji groaned in annoyance. No, most probably not.

He sighed softly, before he typed his own reply, saying that he could not come as he had to work. Plus, he could not weasel out of the company as well because his uncle was keeping a close eye on him and...

"Nephew, what do you have there?"

Had he not been borne a Hyuuga and raised in an environment where discipline and self-control were practically ingrained in his brain, Neji would have jumped, maybe even cussed like those cheap unemployed hooligans loitering around the streets, because his uncle was suddenly in front of him and thus reminding him of that old saying about devils popping out when you think/speak of them.

As a form of reaction to his uncle's intrusion, however, Neji's left thumb twitched and he felt the uncharacteristic urge to immediately hide his phone from his uncle's all-seeing eyes. But then again, such an action would only raise the older man's suspicions, so Neji tried his best to look indifferent and pokerfaced as he stood his ground.

"Just communicating with an acquaintance, uncle. Can I help you, by the way?"

Hiashi raised a brow in suspicion, and before Neji could repeat the question, the older Hyuuga had swiped the phone from the younger man's hand, in a speed that could have fit a leader of a famous clan in some random, ancient ninja village hidden in the leaves.

Neji was actually frozen in shock, pale eyes staring at his uncle who had seized the opportunity of his nephew's slow processing to scan at the message on the phone's inbox. He raised a brow one more time when the name on the screen did not look familiar to him, and Hiashi could not understand as well why this 'Tenten' person put a lot of smileys in one message.

After thoroughly trespassing his nephew's privacy (because the poor young man was still in the state of shock to even react), Hiashi handed the phone back to its owner, who grabbed it angrily once the shock finally wore off.

"Who is this... Tenten, Neji? A new friend of yours?" Hiashi inquired curiously, but the tone of his voice sounded monotonous as always.

"Tenten..." Neji trailed off, before he coughed. "Remember when Hinata told you of that accident regarding a puppy?"

Hiashi nodded and waved a hand to let his nephew continue.

"Tenten is the owner of the animal, sir."

"Ah," the Hyuuga patriarch nodded in understanding. "I believe Hanabi may have mentioned this to me once."

Neji stiffened, knowing that everything never turned to his favor whenever Hanabi was involved.

"My daughter told me that the owner used to be a close... colleague of yours, nephew?"

"Yes sir. She was a classmate."

"I see." Hiashi murmured to himself, stroking his chin in deep contemplation. Then, his gaze landed on his nephew, who was eyeing his uncle back warily. "Then, we ought to make haste, Neji. It is rather unbecoming for a gentleman to keep a lady in waiting, yes?"

"Excuse me?"

"It is quite obvious that this Tenten girl is quite ecstatic about the full recovery of her pet," Hiashi spoke condescendingly, as if talking to a little child that, no, he was not to have a cookie before dinner. "And she wants to share her happiness with us. It is only proper that we must go, nephew."

Neji blinked, before a frown marred his handsome features. "What exactly do you mean by... 'we', uncle?"

"I am going, of course."

"Of course," Neji muttered darkly and exasperatedly, before making another excuse. "What about work, sir?"

"I am on a business meeting," was Hiashi's smug reply. "And I brought along my nephew so he might learn a thing or two about handling businesses from me."

"That's blatant favouritism, Uncle Hiashi."

"Maybe. But everyone knows you are more than qualified to succeed me later on, Neji. You will be a great leader, I'm sure. It is written in your blood."

And then, Hiashi was already turning to leave, most probably to the parking area, whereas Neji stood silently, watching his uncle's back in concealed trepidation.

An irritated sigh escaped the young man's lips as he ran his fingers on his scalp.

"Shit."

**-OoO-**

The car ride was, to put simply, an experience Neji could only hope will never happen to him ever again for as long as he lived.

When Neji and Hiashi had reached the parking lot, Rock Lee was already there, waving at the two Hyuugas enthusiastically. The youthful man was actually waiting for Neji, because he was itching for a spar, or to borrow his words, he was burning in the fiery passions of his springtime of youth! And then, when Lee learned that they were going to the vet for Tobi, he whooped for joy and instantly boarded the back seat of the car.

And poor Neji was not even given the chance to forcibly yank Lee out of the vehicle, because Hiashi was already situated at the passenger's seat.

"Make haste, nephew. Time is of the essence."

Neji cursed under his breath in reply, but he did what his uncle demanded, silently praying to whatever god was listening to him right now to spare him and his sanity from this nightmare.

Five minutes later in the car ride, and Neji was already twitching, veins pulsing irritably as Hiashi and Lee conversed about Tenten. Or to borrow, once again, Lee's words, "the radiant lotus who has ensnared my rival's beating heart with her loveliness! YOSH!"

"I tell no lie, Sir Hiashi! But Tenten is an enchanting creature fit to become a goddess! The first time I laid my eyes on her, I thought I was extremely unworthy to see such beauty!" Lee praised jovially, as Hiashi merely nodded. "Such a captivating lady. A prime example of a budding flower basking in the springtime of youth, she is!"

"Ah. I see," Hiashi replied wisely, and Neji raised a brow. His uncle actually understood the puzzle that was Rock Lee? "And you say that my nephew is... interested, correct?"

Rock Lee nodded fervently that his head looked almost like it would fall off any moment now. Well, at least Neji darkly wished it would.

"Most certainly sir! Neji is very much smitten by Miss Tenten's allure. Why, he cannot even take his eyes off of her during our last visit."

"Hn," Hiashi grunted as he closed his eyes, deep in thought, before pale orbs turned to the driver. "Is this true, Neji?"

Neji narrowed his eyes and muttered an "Ah", which was clearly man-speak that meant, "I am not answering that ridiculous question and if you two keep this up, I will not hesitate and ram this damn car against the nearest wall or car I see on the road."

"How curious," Hiashi said seriously, although his face looked actually pleased by the sudden revelation. "I wish to meet this girl. She sounds... ah, remarkable."

"She most certainly is! She is absolutely stunning. And she possesses a very warm smile that I am sure will most certainly melt the frozen ice that has encased Neji's heart in due time, sir!"

The car jerked along the road.

"What the hell, Lee?!" Neji growled angrily and glared at the rear mirror, hoping that Lee would see it. He did, but instead of cowering in fear like a little girl, the ever exuberant man-child gave Neji a thumb's up with matching pinging teeth., making Neji curse once more.

"Language, nephew." Hiashi reprimanded firmly.

After that, silence enveloped the whole ride.

... Well no, not really. Because whenever Rock Lee was around, silence was a foreign concept. The boy continued on and on about Tenten, singing praises here and there with Hiashi nodding in every interval or when it was necessary.

For his part, Neji tuned Lee out, having already mastered the art of ignoring the loud boy whenever he was in the mood for talking. It was a skill Neji honed the moment he realized that his roommate was going to be some spandex-wearing guy who acted like a little boy trapped in a man's body.

And as always, the torture never ends there for Neji.

**-OoO-**

When the three finally arrived, Neji was shocked to see that a few people had gathered there already.

Tenten, as expected, was already present, and she was in a deep conversation with... Hinata? The two did not even notice the newest arrivals, as they were locked in on their own little talk. And Tenten must have said something funny, because the two shared a laugh soon after.

And just beside the two ladies were Konohamaru and Hanabi. His cousin, Neji noted, looked absolutely smug about something, whereas Konohamaru looked like he was on the verge of screaming all of his frustrations to the whole world.

"Damn it! I want a rematch!" Konohamaru suddenly yelled, and two immediately straightened for battle.

White eyes locked in on brown ones, and both contenders' posture was stiff and ready, faces both looking grim and serious; then, the two raised their fists and...

"JACK! EN! PON!"

Konohamaru's fist was clenched to form a rock, whereas Hanabi's palm was wide open for paper. The girl immediately grinned triumphantly once more as Konohamaru grumbled and screamed a demand for another match, which Hanabi was quick to accept.

Neji coughed to gain everyone's attention. Konohamaru and Hanabi paid no heed as they continued their epic battle, this time Konohamaru winning. The boy cawed and grinned and jumped as he danced what Neji could only think as a victory dance.

Meanwhile, Tenten and Hinata heard him well enough, and the two turned to Neji.

Tenten beamed, and Hinata smiled, only for it to morph into a questioning glance when she spotted her father, who by the way was already approaching them casually, much to Neji's horror.

"You must be Tenten," he declared in that monotonous voice of his, to which Tenten answered with a respectful bow. "I have heard so much about you from my nephew and his friend."

And Neji's horror escalated into terror and humiliation of epic proportion when Hiashi heaved sigh of relief and then clasped Tenten's hands in between his own as he spoke, his tone suddenly soft and gravelly.

"Please take care of Neji, my dear. He is quite an ambitious man, always working and aiming to be on top that sometimes he forgets to check himself and his health. I mean, just yesterday, he forgot to eat his meal! I'm sure you can convince him to rest, even just for a while."

"Uhmm..." sepia eyes blinked rapidly in confusion, before an unsure smile curled on Tenten's lips. "I'll be sure to do that, Hyuuga... Hiashi-san?"

"Excellent." Hiashi uttered pleasantly as he gave Tenten a pat on the head. "Now then! I am sure you are already excited about your pet's full healing? Shall we go and have a look?"

As if those were the magic words that he had been looking for, Lee quickly bolted up like a revived phoenix and dashed his way to the clinic with his signature 'YOSH!' for emphasis.

Tenten was quick to follow the youthful man, a worried look etched on her face, whereas Hiashi trailed after her, leaving the three younger Hyuugas and Konohamaru behind in a daze.

The latter suddenly snorted and crossed his arms on his chest.

"Your dad is smoking something."

Surprisingly, all three Hyuugas nodded, agreeing with Konohamaru unanimously. Then, Hanabi, who stood near her older cousin, suddenly handed a sheet to Neji who gave the paper and then his cousin a questioning glance.

"I made a list," Hanabi explained, "for all the retirement homes available in the city."

Hinata too had a list of her own, which she handed to Neji as well. "I-I've also jotted some... numbers too. Of agencies wi-with excellent caretakers..."

Neji accepted both papers and gratefully nodded his thanks to his two younger cousins. Across the three, Konohamaru snorted once more.

**-OoO-**

When they finally entered the establishment, Tenten already had Tobi in her arms. Lee was too busy cooing at the pup, who yelped and yipped his delight over Lee's undivided attention. Hiashi was beside Tenten, capturing the girl's attention in a deep conversation.

"Yes, I know what it's like to love a pet," Neji heard Hiashi say. "I too had a pet bird that I loved very much. I lost him just last year."

Hiashi closed his eyes in deep sadness, and Tenten hurriedly reached out to give the man a comforting pat on his arm. Hiashi sniffed once, eyes still closed morosely and listened as Tenten whispered soothing and encouraging words to him.

Meanwhile, Neji frowned. He could not remember his uncle ever owning a pet, and the only significant thing that Neji could remember of last year was...

Neji's eyes widened.

Last year, Hiashi was diagnosed with cancer of the prostate. Luckily, the cancer was still in the early stages, and the doctor was quick on advising the man with multiple choices of medical management. Among all the choices listed, Hyuuga Hiashi chose radical prostectomy or the removal of the prostate itself and the seminal vesicles along with it.

And now, here was the man, making up a fake sobbed story about a deceased pet bird when all he ever meant was the loss of his... err, manly pride and joy.

Tenten, at least, did not seem to get the double-meaning behind Hiashi's story, and Neji was thankful for that. Said Hyuuga was about to march over to where Tenten and his uncle were and demand his uncle to stop, when Hinata, who stood beside him, spoke suddenly and curiously.

"Father never had a pet bird..." the poor, innocent soul that was Hyuuga Hinata murmured softly, making Neji roll his eyes discreetly. Hanabi let out an unladylike snort.

"Sis, answer me this. What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about the many struggles father, and us, had to undergo through last year?"

Hinata frowned in confusion.

"Last year?" the girl echoed, brows furrowed in deep thought. "Oh! Last year, father was..."

She trailed off as the sudden revelation hit her, figuratively speaking, in the face. Hinata trembled and paled, and Hanabi immediately settled close to her sister, just in case the latter would suddenly pass out like a candle exposed in the wind.

"Why? What happened last year?" Konohamaru butted in, eyes curiously switching from one Hyuuga to another.

"Last year, uncle had to undergo a medical procedure where he had to give up his..." Neji coughed, before he continued, "symbol... of manliness due to some unfortunate events." He continued in deep disdain, eyes still locked angrily at his uncle's back.

And without waiting for Konohamaru to actually understand, Neji fled to where his uncle and Tenten were, effectively acting as a shield and interrupting the lewd conversation that Hiashi started.

Meanwhile, Konohamaru shook his head as he watched the Hyuuga patriarch with ill-concealed disgust.

"Your dad's a pervert."

Hanabi did a double take, eyes widening in surprise. Beside her, Hinata whimpered and breathed in and out heavily as she tried to calm herself.

"You understood big brother just now?"

Konohamaru regarded both Hyuuga sisters with a strange look, as if the two suddenly grew an extra head.

"Of course. Every guy knows the man-speak. It's our universal language, after all."

Hanabi eyed him incredulously, before she huffed and shrugged, then turned to watch as Neji glared at Hiashi, spoke with Tenten, patted Tobi's head, and swatted Lee's hand when the youthful man tried to tackle Neji in a bear hug.

All in all, the chaos that was brought about by the sudden appearance of Hiashi (plus Lee's ever bountiful energy) looked far too difficult to handle by a mere human alone. But someone had to do it. And unfortunately for Neji, fate handed that burden into his hands.

**-OoO-**

**Man-speak. Yeah, apparently, it exists. And even when I have two brothers with me, I still do not understand such language. Oh well.**

Anyways, a huge thank you as always for the constant support and reviews! And because I updated a chapter, someone -cough-**pusa-**cough- should upload her story too, yeah? YEAH! xD

And as always, here are my replies to the anonymous reviews because I can't send you guys private messages that contain my gratitude.

**Guest:** Thank you!

**mk:** Thanks! I had a blast writing Lee too. I just hope I did not go way overboard regarding his... youthfulness.

**Ichigo-chan:** Thank you! It's always a relief to find that some people actually smile at my pathetic attempts at humor. xD

**Crazzy:** Thank you!

**Guest:** Thank you. And like I said before, I will try and update every Sundays.

Hope you guys enjoyed! Fruity, OUT!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**WARNING: **Rated** T **(for language). Might as well add that characters are quite OOC too because I'm sick and tired of always reading a stick-up-his-ass Neji and a strict-to-the-point-of-almost-demonic Hiashi.

**-OoO-**

**HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!**

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 6: Of More Obvious Matchmaking Attempts and Stunning Revelations**

Fate was a bitch.

Neji thought for the umpteenth time as he glared and twitched at the man in front of them.

He had introduced himself as Inuzuka Kiba, Dr Hana's little brother. Apparently, the young vet had an emergency to run off to – something about the Naras and an injured deer (here, Neji scowled; who in their right minds would raise a pack of _deer_ in the city?)– so she assigned her little brother to handle things in the clinic while she was away.

Inuzuka Kiba was, as Neji observed, so much like his sister. Both had this dominating aura that screamed attention, the confidence that practically oozed in every action they made, and the easygoing and friendly attitude that drew people in.

Physically speaking, both Inuzukas also looked alike. From the dark brown hair, the slightly tanned skin, the sharp angling of the nose, and the quirky smirk that showed a bit of their fangs, only a blind person would not notice the resemblance between Hana and Kiba.

But that was not why Neji had been twitching the moment he stepped foot in the clinic and found Kiba already there with a feral smirk, while Dr Hana was explaining to Tenten why she had to leave immediately. Hana and Kiba could be twins, for all Neji cared, and he would not be reacting so... livid about the whole situation.

Oh no. It was more of the fact that this _fucking _Inuzuka Kiba's eyes, sharp and wolflike as with his sister's, kept darting between Tenten's pretty face and Hinata's ample chest like an animal in heat.

And neither girls noticed the man's perversion, because Tenten was much too focused on Tobi and Hinata was far too innocent to even realize that a lecher had been eyeing her boobs for quite some time now.

Neji clenched and unclenched his fists.

If this man kept ogling the ladies, Neji will most definitely make him regret it, maybe make Kiba lose a tooth or two. The Hyuuga was confident enough to know this was possible – he had a good punch after all, ever since he started working out under the tutelage of Maito Gai-sensei.

Neji was about to move, but behind him, Hanabi suddenly invited her sister to go outside, claiming that the clinic was getting far too crowded with all the people around.

Hinata agreed, and Neji breathed out a sigh of relief when his cousins left the vicinity.

Good.

Hanabi had managed to sense and observe Kiba's unprofessionalism and had safely shepherded her sister from the big bad wolf, without alarming Hinata.

Now all that was left was...

"Hey sissy! Quit hogging Tobi all by yourself and let me hold him too!" Konohamaru suddenly demanded, making Tenten turn around to face her own little brother.

'Perfect.' Neji thought pleasantly.

Konohamaru noticed the intense staring too and smartly veered his sister from the almighty pervert that was Kiba. However, the young boy's plan kind of backfired, because now that Tenten had her back against everyone else, Kiba managed to get a good look at her butt.

And what a fine butt Tenten had that even Neji paused for a moment to have a good look as well.

But the Hyuuga was able to turn away from that sinfully appealing ass, just in time to see Kiba stand there, eyes glazed in pure want, jaw hanging in thin air, and... was that drool on his lips?!

Neji quickly positioned himself and acted as a human shield, and unless Kiba were to crane his neck, the pervert would no longer be able to ogle at Tenten's delicious ass. But of course, the Inuzuka would not do that right? Surely he had enough common sense not to angle his head, because if he did that, then his perverse staring would become way too obvious to everyone in the room.

Right?

No, not really.

Because Kiba did crane his neck, as his zombie eyes fixed themselves on the girl's behind.

And Neji felt his anger rise up to over nine thousand.

Oh, it's on alright. If this jackass loved trouble, well, Neji was going to serve it. Painfully. Excruciatingly. Immediately. Until the Inuzuka begged for mercy or a quick death.

Neji growled and cracked his muscles. He was about to throw his first punch that would forever leave an angry bruise on Kiba's face, when Hiashi intervened, blocking the Inuzuka's line of sight on Tenten and her shapely lower cheeks.

"Young man," Hiashi spoke in that eerily cold voice he often used at work. "I believe we have yet to pay for Tobi's medical expenses. My nephew over here will take care of that."

"Wassuh?" was Kiba's oh-so intelligent reply that the younger Hyuuga felt another wave of anger wash his entire body and soul.

The hell? He had been standing there for a good five minutes and this dog boy did not even realize it?!

Oh, it was definitely on, alright.

"Oh yeah, the bill," Kiba said in an almost trance-like voice before he sheepishly smiled and secretly (and failed) wiped the saliva on his face. "It was here somewhere... I was pretty sure my sister gave it to me before she left..."

The Inuzuka began rummaging on the counter, trying to find the bill that his sister issued, along with some instructions on what medication was needed for Tobi. He did not even notice that Neji was already fuming with rage, whereas Hiashi tried to calm his nephew by patting the young man on the back and reminding him (in hushed tones) that Hyuugas were the masters of self-control.

By the time Kiba finally found the receipt (with a triumphant "FOUND IT!"), Neji's brows were already drawn together in a permanent scowl, mouth firmly in a frown and a vein close to popping because it had been throbbing nonstop.

Kiba deduced it as constipation, and when the man freely asked and even cheekily suggested that Neji could use the restroom in the clinic ("As long as you flush, go ahead!"), it took the combined power of Hiashi, Lee, and even Konohamaru to stop Neji from going all out on the Inuzuka.

Meanwhile, Tenten stood on the sidelines, face a mixture of shock and disgust at what Kiba had just said, and watched as Neji grew closer and closer to Kiba, his hands ready to strangle the man.

**-OoO-**

Then came another problem.

Once Neji had calmed down enough to actually pay the expenses, fate decided to interfere once more, just to make Neji's life a series of bad luck and a complete hell.

Because when everyone finally filed out of the establishment, and just as Neji was about to regretfully say goodbye to the lovely Tenten, Hiashi suddenly suggested that they (as in, the Hyuugas) needed to visit the Sarutobi home to ask forgiveness from Tenten's grandfather as well.

Tenten said that there was no need for that, but Hiashi was adamant with his decisions, sprouting some nonsense about family honor and whatnot. Tenten reluctantly agreed after Hiashi spent a few more minutes lecturing about the Hyuuga tradition of apologizing to those whom they have wronged.

(Neji thought that everything his uncle said was a complete lie. A series of bullshit, actually.)

Of course, with all that was said and done, came problem number two in the form of the seating arrangements.

Neji's BMW (a gift from his uncle when he graduated college) could not possibly fit all seven people, so some would have to walk going to the Sarutobi's abode. Hiashi insisted that Neji and Tenten should walk together, seeing as they were both adults and could handle a few distance of walking.

"That's unnecessary, uncle," Neji was quick to retaliate. "I know the way, so Lee and I can walk there. Maybe even have a race if Lee feels like having a challenge."

Immediately, the ears of the man-child called Lee perked up and the thought of having another youthful challenge with his rival. His eyes burned with the fiery flames of youth and determination, only to be doused by Hiashi's cold, cold glare.

"Tobi will not leave Miss Tenten's arms, nephew. And I apologize for saying so, but I cannot be in the same space with a dog for too long. I am allergic, after all."

'No, you are not, damn you!' Neji thought angrily, but kept his mouth shut instead. It would not do well to lose control again, especially in front of Tenten.

"Then Konohamaru can walk with me. I'm sure Tobi wouldn't mind if Konohamaru's the one handling him."

Problem number three therefore presented itself when Tobi proved Neji wrong.

The puppy actually minded that someone else would be holding him! Tobi whined and barked and buried his little head on Tenten's chest when Konohamaru tried to coax the animal to his arms. Then, when Konohamaru tried to forcefully take the pup, Tobi yelped an ear-splitting cry, making Konohamaru abandon the plan.

Hiashi looked like he just won the lottery. Or better yet, the old man looked so triumphant, it was almost as if he just found out that his manly pride and joy was suddenly attached to him once more in a miraculous turn of events.

"See?" Hiashi gloated with a confident smirk that Neji wanted so much to erase. "Tobi would not leave the young miss' arms! And Neji, we Hyuugas are known to be very respectful, especially to women. Therefore, it is your duty to escort Miss Tenten and her pet to their home, nephew."

Neji glared, and Hiashi stared back. The silent glaring and staring would have continued for more than hour or so, if not for Tenten who felt the thick tension in the air.

"I don't really mind walking. I need the exercise anyways," Tenten suddenly spoke, before she shyly turned to Neji. "And if it's not too much of a problem, I would like a companion along the way."

"Excellent!" Hiashi exclaimed excitedly, and before Neji would speak his answer to Tenten, let alone blink, everyone except for the young Hyuuga and Tenten was already packed in the car. "We'll be going ahead then!"

"Wait!" Konohamaru protested as he struggled in the backseat with Lee and Hanabi. "I'm going with my sister! Hey, let go of me, spandex weirdo!"

But Lee refused to let go, and at the driver's seat, Hiashi clicked his tongue. "Young boy, we do not know where you live. You shall be our guide."

Hiashi then proceeded to lock all the doors and sped off before the boy could escape from Lee's clutches. Only in the distance did Neji and Tenten hear a scream of "I'm on to you, old man!" from Konohamaru, who sounded pissed off and ready to cause a commotion.

A few seconds ticked and a tumbleweed passed, before Tenten turned to Neji smilingly.

"We should get going too, right Neji?"

**-OoO-**

'This... is extremely awkward.' Neji thought as he trudged along the road with Tenten by his side. The two were awfully quiet, each trapped in their own minds, with only the sound of the bustling city as their companion.

Even Tobi had gone quiet, amusing himself by pawing in thin air, as if he was reaching out for something.

'Now would be a good time to talk about something... anything,' Neji rambled in his mind, as he brainstormed for any good topics. But the only answer his genius mind could supply was high school, which, Neji thought with an inward shudder, was a bad idea. A very, very, _very_ bad idea.

He did not really want to relieve the most embarrassing failure of his life, thank you very much. And because Tenten did not open such topic, Neji would follow her lead.

They both stopped when the traffic lights turned green, patiently waiting for the cars to pass.

'Alright, time to man up and start whatever topic is good for a conversation,' Neji thought determinedly. With a soft sigh, he loosened his tie just a bit and opened his mouth, only to be cut off by Tenten.

"Your family is quite a lively bunch, Neji." Tenten suddenly said with a smile. "Hinata and Hanabi are both very friendly girls, and your uncle is such a delightful person to have a conversation with!"

Neji's mind broke a little at the last part of the sentence, and it was only thanks to his long-term memory that his legs were able to move automatically when the lights finally turned red, indicating that it was the pedestrians' turn to cross the street.

"Oh, and Lee is such an exuberant person!" Tenten continued on, giggling just a bit. "To tell you the truth, I actually find it strange that you two are best friends."

'We're best friends?' Neji wanted to ask, but instead uttered, "Why do you think so?"

"Well..." Tenten trailed off as she stared straight ahead in deep thought. "You two are just so... different, I guess. Uhh, no offense, of course."

"None taken," Neji replied casually and added, "to tell the truth, Lee and I actually have the same interests. Well, not all, of course. I still speak strongly against spandex and youth, after all."

His partner laughed and Neji smirked. "I can tell, Neji. You really don't look like the spandex type."

"No," Neji shook his head and smiled boyishly. "But we both like martial arts. Even went to the same gym and trained a bit of mixed martial arts."

"Mixed martial arts?" Tenten echoed. "I think I heard that from TV somewhere..."

They rounded a corner before Tenten let out an 'Oh!', making Tobi yelp.

"Konohamaru watches those kinds of fights! It's getting popular these days, right?" Tenten asked and received a nod from Neji.

"Yeah, it is," Neji spoke. "The training's pretty tough though, so I'm not sure if everyone who knows it actually practices it."

"Wow, I can already imagine... I mean, those moves on TV don't look easy at all." She adjusted Tobi in her arms before speaking once more. "Who was your instructor by the way, Neji?"

"A man who goes by the name of Maito Gai."

Tenten giggled. "He sounds like a very passionate man."

"He is," Neji instantly agreed, before he frowned. "Lee idolizes him very much."

"Ah!" Tenten suddenly grinned widely. "I think I can already envision this Gai person now!"

"If the man in your mind happens to be an older version of Lee, complete with the shiny hair, the sparkling teeth, and the tight green spandex," Neji said with a scowl as he pictured his odd teacher in his own head, "Then you are on the right track."

Tenten laughed so hard that people around them jumped and stared at the girl. Neji could only smirk.

"Hey, control yourself. People are looking."

Tenten snorted in reply. "I can't help it," declared the girl with a chuckle, "a grown man jumping around in spandex while talking animatedly about the springtime of youth? You must have had a blast during training, huh?"

"Hn," Neji grunted as he stuffed his hands inside his pockets. "Everyday, he kept urging me to wear those things. That man never gave up."

"Aaw! You should have joined them!" Tenten teased, giving her companion a huge grin and a playful nudge on the arm. "Then, you would have called yourselves the Terrific Trio or something!"

The look on his face must have been comical, because the moment Tenten managed to see his reaction, the girl burst into laughter once more, earning her another batch of curious glances and raised brows from the other people around.

The two continued their conversation, and Neji realized that he really enjoyed talking to Tenten. After all, the girl had this amazing talent of dispelling any awkward moment as she switched from one topic to another without ever mentioning their high school years, much to Neji's insurmountable gratitude.

"And I've seen those moves too and I think they're pretty cool! I've always wanted to try and execute a successful leg kick!"

"I thought you said it was Konohamaru who liked mixed martial arts?" Neji suddenly asked and chuckled a bit when Tenten flushed prettily.

"I got hooked too, okay. Quit judging me."

Neji chuckled once more before shrugging indifferently. "If you'd like, I could teach you a few moves."

Tenten's eyes grew wide, and she smiled shyly at him. "You serious? Because I would really, really like that."

He nodded, and Tenten squealed in delight, skipping excitedly as she continued to name a few more moves and Neji could you teach me those moves too? You will, right?

When Neji smiled and nodded once more, Tenten smiled the most radiant and breathtaking smile Neji had ever seen in his entire life that he was effectively halted in his steps as he simply stared at her.

'BADUMP!' went his heart, and he could have sworn that his stomach was doing somersaults deep inside his body, making him all sweaty, and tingly, and fuzzy. His nerves felt like they were all electrocuted, his brain was a jumbled mess, and his legs soon turned to jelly as his heart rate continued to speed up.

And he realized with a jolting revelation that he, Hyuuga Neji, was falling in love with the Golden Girl, Sarutobi Tenten, all over again. And this time, the feeling came back with full force – a force far too strong and powerful that it was almost impossible to ignore, suppress, and forget.

Yep, fate was _definitely_ a bitch.

**-OoO-**

**NOTES:**

I just found an abandoned male kitten! He has white fur, blue eyes, and pink paws. AND! He is in need of a name. Any suggestions? xD

-cough-

Anyway, because I am very much overwhelmed by the continued support (plus, I found another Filipino fanfictioner while I was writing this story and I realized that YOUTHFUL BLACKMAIL does work!), let me give you guys a short preview for the next chapter. Here we go!

"**We should go on a date, you and I."**

**And Neji felt the time stop with a tick as Tenten's eyes flapped wide open at his sudden suggestion.**

-cough-

Wow, gee. Short, right? And finally, Neji grew some balls and asked the girl out! Now, what will Tenten's reaction be?

Anyway, on to my replies for anon reviews!

**Chisa Chispa: **Thank you very much. And I noticed you also wrote a review on my other story, and for that, another thank you must be said! And yes, just like you, I'm pretty stumped at how myopic Kishimoto is. There was fucking chemistry in NejiTen, you jerk! But no, he only focuses on Team Seven (more on the yaoiness that is SasuNaru, actually) to even care about his other characters. Le sigh.

**Guest: **Thank you! I'm glad that so much people actually approve of Hiashi being out of character. Yep, as **shimmering **said, no more stern clan leader!

**Guest: **Another one who has accepted the OOC-ness of Hiashi. Haha, thanks!

**Ichigo-chan: **Ah, the dreaded "TALK". I don't know how my parents gave my siblings "THE TALK", but in my part, I remember my mother shoving me a book about baby-making, and well... that was all. Anyways, thank you as always! xD

**Fruity, out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**Warning: **Rated **T** for language. Be also warned that most (if not all) the characters are quite OOC. And uhh, there's also massive abuse on the ears via karaoke. Lastly, I apologize for the late update. My computer crashed and I'm swamped with work stuff. X.X

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 7: LET THERE BE SAKE, KARAOKE, AND A REPEAT OF AN AWKWARD CONFESSION!**

"_We should go on a date, you and I."_

_And Neji felt the time stop with a tick as Tenten's eyes flapped wide open at his sudden suggestion._

**-OoO-**

It all started when Sarutobi Hiruzen invited the Hyuugas and Lee for dinner.

Naturally, the old man was very grateful when Hiashi and the rest came by to personally apologize for Tobi's mishap. Hiruzen, as was expected, waved off the sincere apology with a kind laugh and then proceeded to invite his visitors for a meal, which Hiashi accepted gracefully.

Neji learned all of this the moment he and Tenten arrived some time later, only to find Lee and Konohamaru in an epic tennis battle via Wii, with Hanabi as their scorekeeper.

It was Hinata who relayed the story to Neji and Tenten, and the latter quickly went to the kitchen, saying that she needed to help her aunt prepare dinner and thus leaving Neji with Hinata, who was meekly watching Konohamaru and Lee beat the crap out of each other through gaming.

"I-I actually wan-wanted to help..." Hinata murmured when Neji sat close to her. "Bu-But Kurenai-sensei sai-said that guests shou-shouldn't be helping and..."

The poor girl trailed off just as the two gamers stopped and an automatic voice declared Player 2 as the victor. Lee released a victory screech, whereas Konohamaru grumbled something about beginner's luck. Lee proclaimed wholeheartedly that it was the power of the springtime of youth! YOSH!

Meanwhile, Neji had to raise a brow, when Hinata mentioned about one 'Kurenai-sensei'.

Did his cousin mean their Chemistry teacher, Yuuhi Kurenai? As in, _the_ Yuuhi Kurenai; the long-legged, big-boobed, tight-assed, head-turner Kurenai-sensei, whom their Mathematics teacher Sarutobi Asuma chased after like an animal in heat?

By the hands of the merciful gods above, Asuma-sensei managed to win that bomb-shell's heart with his constant flirting and persistence? No way, Jose. It had to be another Kurenai because the last time Neji saw those two teachers, Kurenai-sensei never bothered to accept or reciprocate any of Asuma's advances.

"Everyone, time for dinner!"

Suddenly, _the _Yuuhi Kurenai was there at the living room, giving her guests a winsome smile that once made Neji's male classmates worship her like a goddess.

"Oh, well if it isn't Neji! It's so good to see you once again," Kurenai said warmly, her champagne eyes sparkling. "Come and let's start dinner. And Hinata, be a dear and call Hiashi-san and father for me, please."

Hinata was quick on her feet, and with an energetic, "Yes sensei!", she was off to look for Hiashi and Hiruzen, who were playing shougi on the porch.

Neji on the other hand bowed respectfully at his teacher and greeted, "Good evening, sensei."

And then, his silvery eyes trailed off from Kurenai's beautiful face to the woman's belly, where it was heavily round with child.

Well, son of a gun. Not only did Asuma-sensei manage to snag the girl of his dreams, he also planted his seed successfully on the woman and was pretty soon going to have a family of his own!

Tch, lucky bastard.

Neji thought before he wondered if he too would be just as lucky someday.

"What are you standing there for, Neji?" Tenten laughingly asked before she was behind Neji and pushed the boy to the dining table. "Food's ready! Let's eat!"

An image of Tenten wearing an apron and greeting him with a beautiful smile as he came home from work flashed in his mind, and Neji had to smirk at the very welcoming sight in his imagination. Oh, and she should be pregnant with his child too.

Heh, yeah... That's one good picture right there.

"You look happy! What'cha smiling about?" Tenten asked curiously as she proceeded her pushing of Neji.

"Nothing important, actually." Neji replied, and softly he added. "Just something I've always wanted to have, that's all."

"Mhm? I didn't hear, sorry. What did you just say?"

"Nothing." A sigh, and then, "it's nothing."

**-OoO-**

For the most part, the dinner was pretty normal.

Amicable conversation flowed about as the girls commandeered the topics, which ranged from the past school life to the married life ( in Kurenai's case). Sometimes, Lee would gush at how scrumptious their meal was, to which Kurenai would most graciously thank before striking Hinata with another conversation.

Apparently, Hinata was Kurenai's favorite student, way back during the shy Hyuuga's high school days, because Hinata was just so kind, so smart, and so helpful.

It was also here where Neji found out that Konohamaru and Hanabi never got along because Hanabi was their class president ("Just like you!" Tenten said happily) who led the class with a seriousness that was purely Hyuuga, whereas Konohamaru was the class clown ("Not like you," Neji added, which made Tenten laugh loudly) whose sole purpose was to disobey every rules and regulations that Hanabi meticulously created for the whole class to follow.

In short, the two were always at each other's throats, constantly waiting for the right moment to strike the enemy's weak points.

Lee youthfully declared that their relationship sounded so much like those lovey-dovey teenage movies/ soap operas he frequently watched. Hanabi reacted with a shriek, before throwing her fork straight at the bowl-haired man's face. Lee was quick enough to evade it and smart enough not to tease the young Hyuuga again.

Neji also learned, and his heart sang many praises at the news, that Tenten was indeed single. She had been for quite some time now, as Hiruzen pointed out oh-so casually, much to Tenten's mortification. The poor brunette could only groan in her seat, as many pairs of eyes turned to look at her.

"Which I'm thankful for. Suigetsu was kind of an ass anyways," Konohamaru grumbled, which earned him a jab from his uncle who sat beside him.

All was well during the meal... until the sake was introduced.

His uncle was a terrible drunk, Neji conceded, but Hiashi paled in comparison with Lee. With just a gulp of anything alcoholic, Lee becomes an untamed beast who will stop at nothing until he broke everything he deemed unyouthful.

The first time Lee actually drank a drop of sake, he flipped the restaurant's table soon after, loudly declaring that the mantle was hideously not the color of youth! (The cloth was white, which Neji thought was fine, but apparently, Lee thought that green was much, much better. Anyway, the story ended with Neji being 500,000 yen poorer than before.)

The Hyuuga immediately glared at Lee when the youthful man tried to accept the cup with sake handed to him by one already inebriated Asuma (the man was on his way to his fifth shot, it seemed). Lee pouted and begged but one hardened look from Neji had the man-child slump his shoulders in defeat, reaching for his glass of water instead.

Shots were offered, but in the end, only Asuma, Hiruzen, and Hiashi drank some sake. After all, Kurenai was not allowed any alcoholic beverages because she was pregnant and Neji was far too strict to even let any of his two cousins and Lee touch a bottle.

Tenten as well refused to drink and avoided like a plague the thin glass handed to her by her own uncle. Only when Konohamaru yanked the cup from his uncle's grasp to gulp the whole contents down did Asuma stop forcing Tenten to take a sip. Instead, the burly man grinned wildly as he patted (hard) Konohamaru's back to congratulate the boy.

(Hanabi quickly pointed out to her cousin that even Konohamaru had a taste of sake, so it's only fair that she should have a go too! Neji's glare was more than enough to shush her.)

Soon, the many bottles of sake were consumed, leaving everyone who drank the potent liquid red-faced and severely drunk. When Hiashi slurred and repeated his story (something about falling in love at first sight with his wife) for the third time, Neji took it as their cue to leave.

He bid his goodbye to the (non-tipsy) Sarutobis and thanked the family for their hospitality, before hoisting his uncle up. He motioned for his cousins and Lee to follow, but before they could even take one step, Hiruzen suggested some karaoke first.

Hiashi was quick to accept, followed by an exuberant YOSH from Lee, before Neji could decline. The Hyuuga could only sigh exasperatedly as he watched his uncle and his friend sway and skip (respectively) to where the karaoke unit was.

**-OoO-**

"QUIT PLAYING GAMES WITH MY HEART!"

Twitch.

"Yeah! Keep rocking it father!"

Twitch. Twitch.

"Neji, my highly esteemed rival! I challenge you to a singing contest! But just a fair warning to you, I happen to have scored a massive 85% just now! YOSH!"

If anything, Neji's eyebrows continued to twitch as Hiashi crooned and screamed the lyrics of the boy band song he chose. Hanabi seemed to find the whole situation hilarious as she and Asuma cheered on for Hiashi to sing. Lee kept challenging him to a singing contest while Hiruzen was content on sitting by the side, a wide and silly smile on his lips.

Luckily, the girls were not around as Kurenai invited Hinata to have a look at the nursery being prepared for the baby. Apparently, Kurenai needed a second opinion regarding the design and the color combinations, and Hinata happily agreed to help in whatever way she can.

Meanwhile, Tenten had to support her little brother to his room, as the boy was far too wasted to move on his own coordinately. Hanabi gleefully took pictures and would have used them for blackmail had it not been for Tenten who pleaded the girl to let this one thing go.

"Please?" Tenten asked helplessly. "This is all my fault, after all. Konohamaru knows I don't like sake and he was just trying to help me, that's all."

Before Hanabi could reply, Neji had already plucked the phone out of the girl's hand and deleted all the pictures she just took. He nodded once at Tenten, who gave him a grateful smile before ushering her little brother to his safe haven.

Hanabi huffed.

"Man, you're not even in a relationship with her and you are already whipped!" Hanabi complained as she took a seat on the couch. Neji only grunted in reply.

**-OoO-**

"AND AT LAST I SEE THE LIGHT!"

More twitching ensued as Neji suffered the most painful way of losing his hearing (and perhaps his patience) via a karaoke combo of Asuma and Lee.

The two had chosen a duet, a _Disney_ song of all things, and proceeded to butcher said song by screaming at the top of their lungs. Asuma handled the man's part, whereas Lee, who pitched his voice higher in an attempt to mimic the lady singer, sang the woman's part.

And of course, both were not trained in the art of singing, nor were they even blessed with the talent to begin with, so the song sounded more like two tortured souls burning in the fiery pits of hell by Satan himself.

At least Hiashi had finally released his hold on the microphone, opting to drink some more sake with Hiruzen. The two did not even flinch or look bothered by the noise barrage as they continued their drinking.

With a grumble, Neji excused himself out of the room with an obvious lie that he had to go to the restroom. No one heard him, as all were too busy with their own activities to even care. Even Hanabi seemed to have let loose this one night, as she busied herself by laughing her ass off at the enjoyable scenes that unfolded before her very eyes.

Slowly, yet hastily, Neji slipped out of the room. Only when he was finally outside and found himself alone in the Sarutobi's little garden did Neji finally felt himself relax.

He sighed in relief and sat down on the meticulously cut grass. His head was throbbing slightly, and he reached out to massage his temple to ease the ache.

He did not know how long he was there, nursing his aching head, but he soon felt someone else join him, sliding by his side as quietly as possible.

And he did not have to guess who it was that sat beside him. After all, the strawberry scent of her hair was a big giveaway. Plus, the scent reminded him of memories that were supposed to be buried and hidden forever in a locked chest in his mind.

"Sorry about grandpa," Tenten muttered apologetically once Neji stopped his self-massage. "He gets crazy when he's drunk."

Neji huffed in reply.

"I should be the one saying that," he said in deep disdain, a frown on his face. "My uncle is terribly wild when drunk."

To prove his point, Hiashi's voice filled the area, as the man sung "Like a Virgin" at the top of his lungs. Neji's frown could only get deeper and harder, if it was even possible.

"Well," Tenten chuckled heartily, "at least he has a nice singing voice. Pretty deep and firm, if you ask me."

"Don't let him hear that. You'll end up encouraging him."

A comfortable silence lapsed as each was wrapped up in his or her own thoughts. Only the sound of someone, this time Asuma, singing "Sweet Caroline" filled the air as Tenten shifted in her seat and Neji sighed softly.

"You know, you never told me about your course," Neji suddenly uttered, shattering whatever musings Tenten had in her mind.

The girl jumped in shock, head swivelling so fast at Neji in her surprise. After all, it was a rarity for the man to talk, let alone start a conversation, so this was definitely new.

And so it took her quite some time to reply, as she openly gaped at the man beside her, that Neji had to clear his throat and asked the question once more.

"O-oh!" Tenten exclaimed. "I majored in Architecture." She shifted once more on her seat to better look at Neji before she spoke. "And I take it you majored in Business?"

"Yes," Neji replied smoothly. "Someone had to take over once uncle retires, and neither Hinata nor Hanabi wants to do it."

"What's Hinata taking, by the way?"

"Medical Technology."

Tenten made a face. "Sounds hard. It has a lot of Chemistry, right?"

"Six, if I'm not mistake," Neji answered, and when Tenten shuddered in her place, he raised a brow. "Why?"

"Well, I'm not really good at it," Tenten confessed as she played with a blade of grass with her fingers. "Suigetsu tried to teach me once, but he gave up on me soon after. He told me I was a helpless case."

It was Neji's turn to tense in his place, at the mention of the name, and he snuck a glance at the girl beside him, hoping to see a reaction. Tenten looked nonchalant, however, as she continued plucking another blade of grass.

"You... dated him, right?" Neji asked softly, hoping Tenten would not react violently regarding the question. He was, after all, treading on sensitive grounds.

"For almost two years, yeah." Tenten replied, shrugging a bit. "We broke up a few months before graduation. He mentioned something about being offered work at another city and I guess... we just broke up because of that."

'A few months before graduation,' Neji's mind calculated. 'So roughly, around three or four months ago?'

Now for the million dollar question. Was it safe to ask Tenten out? True, she was no longer affiliated with the man, but their relationship lasted for almost two years! Was three or four months enough for Tenten to move on and accept any date invitations?

Maybe. Maybe not. And the only way to find out was to ask, and this very thought made Neji gulp.

He chanced another glance at Tenten, before he steeled himself. He inwardly cursed and wished that he at least drank a bit of the sake offered before, so he would blame intoxication if Tenten were to reject him.

Breathe in, breathe out. Calm the nerves, clear the mind, and prepare the heart for any outcome to happen.

And before he could chicken out like in high school, Neji sighed loudly, which earned him Tenten's attention, and...

"We should go on a date, you and I."

And Neji felt the time stop with a tick as Tenten's eyes flapped wide open at his sudden suggestion.

**-OoO-**

A few seconds passed, but to Neji, it felt like an eternity as Tenten stared at him, a blank look on her pretty face.

His fight-or-flight responses kicked in immediately, with the latter winning by a second. He moved to stand up, maybe splutter an apology and high-tail his way out of Tenten's calculating gaze, when the girl herself stopped him by placing a hand on his knee.

He felt his mouth go dry as Tenten gave him a cheery smile, quite amused at the situation they were in.

"If I say yes," Tenten said lightly, and Neji felt himself relax at her teasing tone, "will I get another portrait from you, Neji?"

Somewhere along the line, Neji's mind dimmed as his heart started jumping all over the place. Hence, the stuttering came.

"If... if it helps, then, well I... yes. Yes, I'll.. gladly draw another picture," Neji instantly replied, and when Tenten nodded that she was, in fact, okay with a date, he continued. "How about tomorrow? It's a Saturday, after all."

"Tomorrow?" Tenten asked before shaking her head. "I can't. I'm meeting with the girls tomorrow, and Ino will kill me if I don't show myself to her and Sakura."

When Neji's face sported a dejected look, Tenten quickly rectified. "But I'm free on Sunday!"

During Sundays, he had driving lessons with Hinata, and it was Neji's turn to shake his head, which made Tenten look disheartened.

"I have driving lessons with Hinata," Neji spoke apologetically, as he hung his head low.

"Oh... then I guess we could —"

Whatever Tenten had to say, she was abruptly halted by someone else.

"Nephew, what are you doing?! STOP!"

Immediately facing to where the sound came from, Neji and Tenten both found themselves staring at an audience. Neji blanched and Tenten reddened at the sudden realization that their own family members had been watching the whole exchange for quite some time now.

Kurenai waved, Asuma guffawed, Hiruzen smiled, Hanabi grinned, Lee sparkled, Hinata blushed, and Hiashi fumed.

"Uhhmm... It-it's okay, big bro-brother... I can... I can ask a frie-friend to help m-me..." Hinata stuttered, blush deepening.

"See?! Hinata can ask a friend. Sunday is good, Tenten. You _will_ go on that date, Neji!" Hiashi scolded, no longer slurring but the shade of red on his face was a clear indication that he was still very, very wasted.

"Hn," was Neji's most intelligent and very in-character reply. Beside him, Tenten chuckled.

"So, I'll see you on Sunday then, Neji?"

"Yes you will Tenten! Or else, I'll drag my nephew by the hair so you two could have that date!"

Neji could only nod his reply as he was very much overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of everyone, except for Konohamaru. He watched as Tenten slowly stood up, prompting him to follow.

"Oh, and about that portrait thing..." Tenten said, turning to Neji who froze in attention. "I was just kidding, okay?"

Neji breathed an 'okay' before giving an unsure smile. Tenten beamed in return.

And everything suddenly felt fine and dandy and wonderful for Neji as he followed Tenten back inside. That was until Lee barrelled his youthful self to Neji, complete with the sparkles and the manly tears, all the while proclaiming the wonders of youthful romance! YOSH, I must find my own blossom to share such a heart-pounding experience with!

Neji punched him in return.

**-OoO-**

**NOTES!**

**Announcement: **I won't be able to upload next week, since I will be using my weekend to visit my sister, and her place has no internet connection at all. So yes, I hope you guys understand. My sister and I are pretty close, and I haven't seen her for a couple of months already. A visit is needed.

But to make up for it, here's another preview.

**You don't have a fever..." Naruto whispered to himself, before his face came closer to Hinata's as he tried to examine the young lady. "You sure you're okay?"**

**Three.**

**Two.**

**One.**

**Thud.**

"**HOLY SHIT! HINATA FAINTED!"**

This is for **Neko** (hey look, another cat!), who wanted a NaruHina in this story. I apologize though, because even when I promised to write the couples being suggested by some of you, I just cannot will myself to write a SasuSaku these days. So I deeply apologize for breaking the promise. Fruity is not a good girl, not at all. Dx/

And to **Ichigo-chan**, no I wasn't talking about pusa (or PewPew). I was talking about **shimmeringbluelight**, who happens to be Filipino as well. And we've recently bonded since we have the same... thoughts... regarding Naruto. (The whole "Kishimoto you ass!" and "Naruto's going yaoi, don't you think?" shebang. ) And the cat was named as Sammy by my mom. I wanted to name him Narnia or Sparta... Dx/

-cough-

Anyway, reviews/ constructive criticisms are always appreciated! Thank you!

**FRUITY, OUT!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**WARNING: **Rated** T **(for language). Might as well add that most (if not all) characters are quite OOC.

**-OoO-**

**Of Simple Crushes and Girl Bonding**

**-OoO-**

**To: **Sakura; Ino

**From:** Tenten

OMG! Guys! I have very important news to share tomorrow!

**...**

**To: **Tenten

**From:** Sakura

Well, someone sounds excited. Is it a date? ;)

**...**

**To: **Sakura

**From:** Tenten

Maybe. I'll tell tomorrow~

**...**

**To: **Tenten

**From:** Ino

BITCH! You ruined my beauty sleep! You better be going on a date or so help me I will kill a hobo!

**...**

**To: **Ino

**From:** Tenten

Nuuuo! Pity the hobo! Dx/

You'll find out tomorrow! I promise! Meet you guys at The Flash!

**-OoO-**

Hinata absolutely loved Saturdays.

It was, after all, the only day where she could escape the many responsibilities expected of her from her father and from the tons of school work her professors loaded her and the rest of her classmates.

Not that she was complaining about said work though. She loved her chosen course and every day, she thanked her lucky stars for her older cousin turned big brother. After all, it was thanks to her "big brother" that Hiashi never pressured any of his daughters to take up Business so they could take over the company some day.

No, Neji was more than capable of the job, thus freeing both her and Hanabi from the burden of becoming the heir.

At the thought, Hinata smiled to herself as she walked along the park, loving the feel of the gentle breeze and the soft rays of the sun on her skin. Her steps were slow as she marvelled at the sights the park had to offer, and she stopped along the way to purchase an ice cream cone.

By the time she was finished with her stroll, she had already consumed the frozen delight and used the napkin on the cone to wipe the corners of her lips.

Smile still intact, Hinata continued her walking, her feet mechanically taking her to a quaint cafe situated by the main square of the city. The familiar sign, 'The Yellow Flash', soon reached her line of sight, and Hinata's smile grew even wider.

This was another reason for Hinata's love of Saturdays.

Although quite small, The Yellow Flash was Hinata's favourite cafe. She would even consider it her safe haven, her home away from home, where people never judged her or waited for her to make a fool out of herself.

No, the people in this cafe were always sweet and kind, and Hinata always felt at ease every time she stepped foot in this quiet establishment, especially since the owner actually reserved a tiny table for her by the corner, where she could sit back and enjoy a novel or two.

As soon as Hinata entered the place, a chime of the bell signalling her arrival, she was instantly greeted by a wide grin and shade of deep, fiery red. Hinata giggled softly as a pair of arms hugged her without hesitations.

"Hinata! It's always good to see you!"

Releasing her hold and taking a step back, Hinata returned the lively greeting with a burst of excitement as well.

"It's always good to see you too, Miss Kushina."

Uzumaki Kushina, part owner of The Yellow Flash, smiled so widely, Hinata could almost count the woman's perfectly white set of teeth.

"Ku-shi-na, Hinata! I told you to call me Kushina. We're practically like family now, don't you think?"

The older woman then ushered Hinata to her personal table while talking about everything she thought would entertain the young Hyuuga. Hinata, meanwhile, listened intently to what Kushina shared, sometimes making a comment or two in appropriate places.

Once they reached 'Hinata's sanctuary' (as Kushina called it), the fiery-haired woman handed her companion a menu, which was entirely unnecessary as Hinata was very much familiar with the list of food and beverages the cafe offered. Then, Kushina soon left after, claiming that her husband, Minato Uzumaki, needed some help in the kitchen.

Hinata nodded and watched as the forty-something-year-old woman skipped her way to the kitchen, most likely humming a tune judging by the way her hips sometimes swayed in perfect rhythm.

Once Kushina disappeared, Hinata reached for her bag and began rummaging for the book she packed earlier this morning.

As soon as she found it, Hinata wasted no time in opening the book to where she placed the bookmark and began reading the piece of literature. Her eyes never left the walls of text as she painted the pictures in her head, imagining the scenes the way the author described it. Pretty soon, she was in her own little world, already too engrossed by the tale of a magical closet/ portal to another world.

So engrossed was she in her tale that it took a few bits of tapping and nudging by someone on the "real world" until Hinata finally fell back to her own dimension, the one without powerful witches and talking lions. With a jolt, the Hyuuga turned to face the man who was foolish enough to interrupt her from the epic story and came face to face with a grinning blonde.

Uzumaki Naruto was his name, and he was the only child of Minato Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki.

Physical-wise, Naruto was the very image of his father: bright blonde locks with the bluest eyes Hinata had ever seen. He was also of the same build and height as his father that more often than not, people would mistake the two as brothers.

However, as little resemblance Kushina offered to her son with the looks department, she most certainly made up with Naruto's temperament.

Both Kushina and Naruto shared the same wild and free spirit, opting to ride with the wind than follow the rules. Both mother and son had the same wild grin, the same amount of patience (or lack thereof), and the same love for ramen and mischief, in which Minato himself was always the receiver of their jokes.

Both were loud, sometimes obnoxiously so, and hard-headed, but also very loyal, confident, courageous, and extremely friendly, which was why Hinata was so drawn to Naruto. He was everything Hinata always wanted to be but never had the guts to do so.

He was also another reason, maybe even the number one reason, as to why Hinata frequented this cafe every Saturday.

She had a huge crush on him; a crush so bad that everyone knew about it. Everyone, except of course, the grinning blonde in front of her.

Cue the nervous stutter, Hinata-style.

"I-I wa-was ju-just... re-reading an-another bo-book..." Hinata replied nervously when Naruto asked her what she was doing. She then used the book as her shield as Naruto came a little bit closer.

"Eh? Again? What's it about this time, Hinata?"

The blonde man, if possible, leaned even more and invaded Hinata's personal bubble as he tried to read the book's cover, but his action only made Hinata even more nervous than ever.

So, the blushing followed.

Hinata 'meeped!' when she caught whiff of Naruto's cologne, and her face burned like a thousand suns. Naruto, as oblivious as always, concluded that the Hyuuga had a fever and, without second thoughts, placed a palm on the girl's forehead.

Light-headedness, here comes Hinata!

"You don't have a fever..." Naruto whispered to himself, before his face came closer to Hinata's as he tried to examine the young lady. "You sure you okay?"

Three.

Two.

One.

Thud.

"HOLY SHIT! HINATA FAINTED!"

**-OoO-**

When Hinata finally regained consciousness, she realized that she managed to gather a few audience, judging by the many hushed voices reaching her ears.

Pale orbs blinked rapidly, as Hinata tried to make sense of what was going on. Her eyesight had yet to recover, but she could have sworn she saw a flash of pink just now.

'Cherry blossoms?' Hinata thought as her mind sluggishly functioned.

She tried to sit up, but someone gently pushed her back down, murmuring something about Hinata taking it easy and getting some more rest. Said Hyuuga could only groan and nod in reply, because she could not really form any words as of yet. Heck, she could not even see clearly as well, which was why the figure in her periphery looked more like...

'A... panda?' Hinata wondered as she watched the stranger/ animal (?) with blurry eyesight.

Hesitantly, Hinata reached out to grab the panda's ears, not really knowing if she was dreaming or not. She assumed that this... hallucination of hers was merely a product of that book she read. After all, it had a talking lion in there, so maybe her mind was still in a jumble.

But one thing for sure, Hinata knew that once she made contact with the panda bear, it would disappear in the realms of her dreams. So imagine the Hyuuga's surprise when said panda called out her name, almost familiarly.

Now shocked to the core, Hinata jumped and blinked rapidly, to clear her foggy mind. It took a while, but the moment Hinata finally worked the cogs in her brain, she realized that she had indeed attracted a few people to her aid.

She blinked in confusion at the two ladies in front of her, who only stood there staring at her in return. Time seemed irrelevant as Hinata could only stare at the blonde and the rosette mutely, her embarrassment making her cheeks turn hot pink.

She did not even realize that Naruto was there too, until he spoke up.

"Uhhh... Hinata? I think you can let go of Tenten now."

Perplexed, Hinata gave Naruto a questioning glance, and the man helpfully pointed at where Hinata should be looking at. Doing so, Hinata followed the motion, her gaze trailing from her outstretched left arm, up to where her hand was.

The Hyuuga could only squeak when she realized that she was now facing an awkwardly smiling Tenten and that her hand was gripping one of the brunette's buns tightly.

Hinata was quick to let go.

"Oh my go-goodness!" Hinata stammered, flailing her arms wildly. "I-I'm so so-sorry, Te-Tenten! I didn't... I didn't even re-realize a-and th-that I-I..."

Whatever Hinata wanted to explain came in splutters and unintelligent murmurs filled with incessant stuttering. And so mortified beyond belief, Hinata whimpered and shamefully hid her face against her palms, still stuttering and hiccupping a string of apologies to the brunette.

Tenten only laughed it off.

"Hinata, chill! I'm not angry." Tenten declared laughingly, hoping to pacify Hinata, who, from between her fingers, peeked and gauged the Sarutobi lady's reaction.

When she noticed that the brunette was pleasantly smiling, Hinata slowly dropped her hands and gripped the blanket nervously, trying her best to calm herself. Then, she did those breathing exercise her older cousin taught her, praying it would work.

It didn't.

However, it made her hyper aware of her surroundings, and Hinata had to rub her eyes when she realized that she was currently inside an unfamiliar room, lying in an unfamiliar bed.

Panic resurfaced once more.

"Wh-where am I-I?" Hinata asked nervously as her eyes darted to and fro her surroundings in an attempt to familiarize herself. Beside the bed she was currently occupying, Tenten dragged a chair and sat on it.

"You are in Minato-san's and Kushina-san's bedroom," the brunette explained as-a-matter-of-factly. "You kind of fainted, so Naruto carried you here. Lucky for you, Sakura was around when you lost consciousness, and she was able to examine you."

Tenten gestured to the rosette, who gave Hinata a friendly wave. Hinata tried to reciprocate the kind gesture with a smile, but ended up blushing a beet red with an uneasy smile.

"Hey, so you are okay, right Hinata?" Naruto asked suddenly, as he took a step forward. Hinata jumped, and if possible, her cheeks grew even redder. "Maybe... I should call a doctor, yeah?"

The man scrunched his face and peered at the still cherry red Hyuuga. He tried to ask once more, but the blonde companion of Tenten suddenly stepped in, baby blue eyes glaring at Naruto's way and thus effectively halting the boy.

"She's fine, but she could a glass of ice-cold water," the blonde said authoratively, crossing her arms on her chest. "So get her some, Naruto."

"U-uuhh... Yo-you do-don't have t-to... I-I'm ok-okay..."

But Naruto was already marching out of the room and down the stairs, heeding the other blonde's order like a little soldier. Only when the lone descendant on Adam left the room did the blonde lady sigh as she sat at the edge of the bed.

"Do forgive my idiot cousin. He's as smart as a piece of chipped wood," the blonde beauty said, still glaring at the door where Naruto exited moments ago. "Really now. Of all guys you had to like, it had to be him."

"I-I do-don't... th-that's not... I-I mean, I am no-not...!"

"Hinata," this time, it was Tenten who spoke, "you don't have to hide it from us. It's kind of obvious."

If anything, Hinata looked about ready to faint once more, had it not been for the rosette who placed a hand on the Hyuuga's shoulder.

"Obvious to anyone but him," the rosette amended and winked. "And don't you worry. Your secret's safe with us."

"So breathe, Hinata. Or I might have to call Neji and ask him to come and fetch you." Tenten continued, giving Hinata an encouraging grin. The Hyuuga nodded in reply.

"I-I... tha-thank you... I'm re-really so-sorry for..." Hinata apologized once more but was quickly silenced when the blonde stopped her with a raised hand.

"Look, Hinata, right?" As Hinata nodded, the blonde continued. "You should really stop apologizing. It's okay. Seriously."

"We-well... th-thank you, Mi-Miss..."

"Ino," the blonde replied and then extended a hand to Hinata to shake hands with the girl. "I'm Yamanaka Ino, by the way, seeing as Ten over here forgot to introduce me to you."

The brunette gasped.

"Ah! Sorry, I forgot!" Tenten said as she lightly bonked her head with a fist. "Hinata, this is Yamanaka Ino, like she said. And uhmm... you already know Haruno Sakura, right?" She pointed at the rosette who waved. "They're both nurses, by the way."

The blonde, Yamanaka Ino as she introduced herself, nodded before turning to Tenten with a teasing grin.

"So..." she purred coyly and batted her eyelashes at Tenten. "Neji, huh?"

This time, it was the brunette's turn to flush.

"I take it that the surprise you wanted to tell us has something to do with... Neji?" Sakura asked, grinning just as widely as Ino.

"How did you guys even—"

"Please." Ino scoffed with a shrug. "You were too obvious, woman. Plus, you were very familiar with Hinata over here, so it didn't take a rocket scientist to find out."

"And two!" Sakura continued, holding two fingers up. "You called him just 'Neji'. Twice!"

Tenten blinked rapidly before she sighed.

"Nothing escapes you two, I swear," Tenten muttered, before turning to Hinata. "Sorry. These two can be quite a handful sometimes."

Hinata giggled softly.

"Well, I'd congratulate you, but then again, this is Hyuuga-san we're talking about so..."

"Pig, behave! His cousin's with us, you know!"

"Yeah, well! Hinata should know about this, Forehead!" Ino pouted and turned the Hyuuga. "Hinata! Did you know that your cousin glared at me when I asked him what conditioner he used to make his hair super shiny and bouncy?"

Poor Hinata only looked confused. "We-well... your question made him sound like he was... ho-homosexual, Miss Ino."

"Ha! Told you so, Piggy!"

"Oh, shut up, Forehead!"

The two, once more, engaged in their verbal argument, leaving Tenten to assess Hinata critically.

"You sure you're alright, Hinata?" At Hinata's nod, Tenten reddened suddenly. "Good. Because... I kind of have a favor to ask..."

"Wh-what is it, Te-Tenten?"

"Well, I was hoping... if you could tell me what Neji likes in a girl... or something...?"

'You. Just you.' Hinata wanted to say, but she knew that her cousin would flip if she said the truth, so instead, Hinata could only say that she had no idea, because Neji never dated before.

Both Sakura's and Ino's ears perked up at the sudden revelation, and the two stopped their argument, removing their hands on the other's cheeks, to join in on the conversation.

"So, he's a rookie at dating?" Ino asked and received a nod from Hinata. "Whoa. So there actually is a field that Hyuuga-san knows nothing about. Freaky..."

"Freaky's the right word," Sakura supplied, earning her nods from Ino and Tenten. "So, what's the game plan?"

"Duh. We scout for actual clothes that Hyuuga-san would like." Ino declared, making Sakura scream a battle cry and Tenten groan in defeat. "It's off to the mall for us, ladies."

"When is the date, anyway?" Sakura inquired and Ino turned sharply at Tenten for the answer.

"Tomorrow. Actually, he wanted it today, but I told him I had a meeting with you guys, so we rescheduled."

"Wait, hold up! You mean, you actually picked your chicks before dicks, Tenten? Oh my God, I'm so proud of you!"

"Ino, get off, you're heavy!" Tenten complained at the blonde who had latched herself on the brunette. "Sakura, help me!"

"Nah. If Ino wasn't_ hogging_ you," Sakura snickered at her own joke, "I'd totally hug you too, Ten. I mean... wow. What you did was the epitome of sisterhood, you know."

"Well, don't make me regret that decision!" Tenten exclaimed, still trying to remove Ino's tight grip. "And besides, Neji had to make sacrifices too. Did you know that during Sundays, he would give Hinata driving lessons?"

"Really?" Sakura asked and turned to Hinata, who nodded back. "Well, I guess you're skipping tomorrow's lesson then, Hinata?"

The Hyuuga was about to speak, but Tenten beat her to it.

"Hinata said she was going to ask a friend. Right, Hinata?"

"Ye-Yes! Bu-but unfortunately... he ca-can't because he ha-has other app-appointments." Hinata reasoned out, hoping none of the girls could see through her lies.

Because in reality, Hinata only had one friend at the university, and said friend of hers always chose to ride his bike than drive a car. Heck, Hinata wasn't even sure if Aburame Shino-kun knew how to drive one!

She only said that she had a friend who could help because she wanted Neji to be happy. She owed so much to the man after all, and this was her little way of showing her gratitude. She was sure that Tenten would make her big brother happy. She could feel it.

"Oh... I kind of feel bad, Hinata..."

"Do-don't be, Tenten... It-it's okay..."

"Of course, it's okay." Ino suddenly cut in, smiling coyly at Hinata. "We can ask Naruto to give you those lessons!"

"Ask me what now?"

Four heads turned to the door, only to find Naruto standing there, a glass of water in his hand. Hinata squealed in reply, whereas the three other girls grinned suggestively.

"Naruto. You're teaching Hinata how to drive tomorrow." Ino all but ordered, leaving no choice for Naruto or Hinata to voice out their concerns.

"Uhhh, okay? Sure. But we'll have to use your car, Hinata. Mom banned me from using ours. She said something about me draining the gas or something..."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Ino waved her hand carelessly. "But save that for tomorrow. Right now, Hinata's coming with us to shop."

"I-I am...?"

"Of course. We need your input, Hinata. Neji's your cousin, after all."

"Oi, Pig." Sakura intervened, giving Ino a glare. "We can't just force Hinata like that. Have a bit of decency!"

"A-actually... I do-don't mind, Miss Sa-Sakura..."

"Really now?" The rosette sounded unconvinced, her glare at Ino never wavering.

"Are you sure about this, Hinata?" Tenten suddenly asked. "Ino's quite scary when it comes to shopping..."

Hinata thought of her plans for the whole day, all of which included her being alone with a good book. Hanabi once told her that she would not be able to make friends if she kept this introverted attitude of hers, and as much as Hinata tried, she was always too shy and too soft-spoken that none of her classmates ever bothered her.

Which was why she was close to Shino-kun. The man was just as introverted as she was, and Hinata always felt at peace with him because he respected the silence.

However, Hinata was tired of having to spend her Saturdays all alone like in the university. It was, perhaps, time to change this little tradition of hers.

Slowly, but surely, Hinata met Tenten's eyes and nodded.

"I'm sure, Tenten."

**-OoO-**

**NOTES:**

My trip was cancelled because of a typhoon, so I had to reschedule. I won't be able to update this Sunday, but I made sure to upload this chapter before I leave. Actually, I was supposed to pass this last Sunday, but I was super pissed off at having my plans almost go to waste because of Mother Nature.

Anyway, apologies for the non-existent NejiTen in this chapter. As compensation, allow me to hand you this preview.

"**Ne-Neji!"**

"**Relax. You are too tight," Neji teased, his breath warm against her skin. "Alright. Do what I told you just now."**

"**But it's so hard!" Tenten whined childishly as she tried to escape his hold. "I don't know what to do! This is my first time, remember?"**

"**Wait, hold on." Neji spoke as he shifted in his position to make Tenten more comfortable. "Is this better?"**

"**Yes!" Tenten gasped gratefully. "Thank you for being patient and gentle with me, Neji."**

"**No," Neji said as he shook his head. "I should have been more careful with you. I'm sorry."**

"**Hey, don't apologize! I wanted this as well."**

"**But still... I—"**

-cut-

-coughs-

Uhh... so... nothing to do here! FRUITY, OUT!


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**WARNING: **Rated** T **(for language and Hidan). Might as well add that most (if not all) characters are quite OOC.

**-OoO-**

**Let's talk about grandchildren**

**-OoO-**

It was quiet. Too quiet.

Normally, Neji would not find this silence suspicious, since their meals were always a silent affair, save for those times his uncle would announce an important topic to the family.

But then again, today was not a normal day.

Today was THE day for his supposed date with the lovely Tenten. And judging his family's behaviour the past few days (ever since the "Puppy Situation", as Neji dubbed it), Neji should have been the butt of their jokes (Hanabi), the recipient of stuttered encouragements (Hinata), and the receiver of threats for grandchildren within this year (Hiashi).

So imagine his surprise when he woke up, showered, shaved, and dressed, only to find his family sitting at the table waiting for him, all poker-faced and serious.

Once he sat in his chair, breakfast begun with a nod from his uncle. Only the sounds of plates were heard as the Hyuuga family dined and Neji warily watched each member, gauging for any reaction other than nonchalance.

His gaze first landed on Hiashi who was far too busy with today's paper. Then, he watched Hanabi and raised a brow when the youngest Hyuuga remained quiet, opting to put more syrup in her pancakes. Finally, Neji observed Hinata, hoping to know what they were planning to do to him (because Hinata was always the first to crack under pressure).

Unfortunately for him, Hinata was more preoccupied with the book in her hand than eating, and this, at the very least, looked strange enough for Neji, because Hinata always made it a point to finish her novels every Saturday.

But this was not the weird behaviour he was anticipating, so for the entire meal, Neji was on high alert, nerves all ready just in case. He did not even let his guard down when breakfast was over and Hiashi left to finish those papers he brought home.

Hours stretched on until Neji only had two and a half hours to get ready for his date.

He first took another shower, one that lasted thirty more minutes than usual because he made sure to wash his hair as meticulously as possible. Another thirty minutes was spent as he carefully reviewed his plan for the day, weighing the pros and cons for every route he was going to choose calculatingly.

Then, he dressed for the occasion, mentally memorizing his lines so he would not appear like a bumbling mess on his date. By the time he was ready (and Neji could have sworn he brushed his teeth more than five times), he only had a good twenty-five minutes to spare, which he thought was perfect timing.

Checking himself with the use of a mirror, Neji's calculating orbs moved up and down in his assessment. He nodded once he deemed himself well-groomed and ready, before moving out of his room.

Still, his home was very silent, and Neji thought that perhaps his uncle and his cousins were giving him a break for once.

With that in mind, Neji smiled to himself and proceeded to text Tenten, telling her that he was all good to go. A minute later, he received a reply from the girl, telling him that she too was all "geared up" and that she was so very excited for this afternoon. (She even added multiple smileys, making Neji chuckle).

He hastily moved to the door, smile still intact as he read Tenten's message over and over again, when someone placed a hand on his shoulder.

The alarms in his head rang wild as he came face-to-face with his uncle. Neji tried not to bolt out to the nearest exit when Hiashi gave him an encouraging smile.

"I told Hinata and Hanabi not to bother you," the old man calmly spoke. "It would not do well if your morning just started and you are already aggravated."

Lavender orbs blinked curiously.

"That's... That's very thoughtful of you, uncle." Neji spoke earnestly, not bothering to hide his surprise.

Hiashi merely nodded.

"You need not mention it, nephew." He replied, before gently patting Neji's shoulders for good luck. "Now go. And make your father and I proud, Neji."

The young man nodded determinedly and bowed his gratitude to the person who had helped him and raised him, becoming his father figure when his own died.

Neji was already by the door, hand on the doorknob, when Hiashi coughed and called his attention, making the young Hyuuga turn to his uncle.

"And Neji," Hiashi added, "I do want grandchildren soon, so you better know how to 'stick it in'." He gestured quotation marks with his fingers. "Otherwise, I will have to show you _that_ video again."

Neji twitched, vein popping out of his temple. And he could have sworn that his grip on the doorknob was too tight, he left a dent on it.

He grunted in annoyance, wanting so much to erase that smirk on his uncle's face, before taking leave, else he might commit murder soon enough.

**-OoO-**

"Ne-Neji!"

"Relax. You are too tight," Neji teased, his breath warm against her skin. "Alright. Do what I told you just now."

"But it's so hard!" Tenten whined childishly as she tried to escape his hold. "I don't know what to do! This is my first time, remember?"

"Wait, hold on." Neji spoke as he shifted in his position to make Tenten more comfortable. "Is this better?"

"Yes!" Tenten gasped gratefully. "Thank you for being patient and gentle with me, Neji."

"No," Neji said as he shook his head. "I should have been more careful with you. I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't apologize! I wanted this as well."

"But still... I—"

"Well fuck. if I didn't know any better, I'd say I was walking in on some good ole' porn."

The moment, or whatever it was called, shattered into a million pieces as Neji and Tenten snapped their heads at the man who spoke. Said man grinned lewdly.

"Well, don't stop!" The man cajoled, waving his hand as if to tell the two to continue. "Do go on with your flirting and have sex soon! Neji highly needs to let off some steam by fucking, you know?"

Neji growled in reply.

"Hidan..." the Hyuuga warned, shooting a glare at the silver-haired man. Hidan laughed at the obviously flustered Hyuuga.

"Hey now! Don't you fucking growl at me, pretty boy! Your girlfriend might get jea~lous."

Neji quickly released his hold on Tenten and stalked his way to Hidan, cracking his knuckles to show the onyx-eyed man that he was already annoyed enough to start a fight. Hidan's grin only grew even wider.

Meanwhile, Tenten had to sigh as she eyed the palpable tension between her date and that Hidan person.

When Neji came to fetch her an hour ago, Tenten expected a cliché date. Meaning, the whole lunch, movie, dinner kind of date thing. So when the Hyuuga offered her MMA lessons, Tenten did a double take and gaped openly at Neji in her surprise.

The Hyuuga quickly asked if she was okay with the arrangement and was ready to do what she wanted, when Tenten finally recovered from her shock and squealed loudly her delight of having to learn those excellent moves she watched on TV.

Then, the Sarutobi began her epic tale of how she researched some of those moves, how those were supposed to be executed correctly, and how one move can be effective against the different types of opponent in the ring.

Neji would nod at the right intervals, and sometimes, he would add a thing or two about a certain move, before promising a grinning Tenten that, yes, he would teach her those too.

So here they were now, at the gym where Neji frequently trained. The place was almost empty, except for a few men who knew Neji. And like the 'friends' that they were, they decided to poke fun of the Hyuuga in front of his pretty date by snickering, cat whistling, hooting, and making 'kissy sounds' whenever they passed the two.

Their teasing was immature, and both Neji and Tenten paid no heed to their constant irritating remarks until such time, Neji's gym mates finally stopped making fun of the couple.

Soon, all was well in their little bubble as Neji instructed her what to do and how to do it.

Neji was just teaching Tenten the proper execution of a headlock and how to escape from it, when Hidan came strutting along, equipped with that annoying smirk of his and his machine gun-like mouth that spewed strings of curses known to man.

Seriously, even sailors would blush or faint if they came close to Hidan and his profanity-filled head.

"Leave." Neji ordered coldly, glaring harder than ever.

"Fuck you. You ain't making me, you little man bitch," Hidan replied obnoxiously. "B'sides, I think your girlfriend's hot."

He winked at Tenten and made a show of licking his lower lips slowly and seductively. The Sarutobi lady tensed and clenched her hands into tiny fists.

"Babe, if you wanna learn the real deal, I'd be more than happy to show ya. I swear I can make you scream so hard, you'll – whoops!"

Hidan barely managed to evade the quick swipe made by Neji. He laughed and opened his mouth to insult the Hyuuga when another fist landed on his face.

Apparently, Neji anticipated Hidan would evade the first attack and immediately followed it with a quick jab aimed at his jaw. The moment he made contact with the target, Neji smirked and watched in triumph as the man staggered in his place, trying to balance himself to stand up.

It took a couple of seconds for Hidan to recover, but it was more than enough to ruin the man's pride.

"Oh, you are fucking dead meat, Hyuuga!" Hidan roared, and when Neji's smirk only grew wider, the enraged man screamed and lunged himself at Neji.

Or rather...

That would have been what Hidan would have done, if not for that one distracting moment when the gym doors opened with a loud bang, seeing as it was kicked open by Lee and an older version of Lee.

"Dynamic Entry!" They both announced with much gusto, bringing along with them a ton of sparkles, a load of green, and well... YOUTH! Tenten could only stare at the duo, wide-eyed, whereas everyone else sighed exasperatedly.

Lee and Lee-senior flew, because there was just no other word for it, to where Neji and Hidan were, in a grace likened to a flying peacock and a speed as fast as the whirlwind.

And then... BAM!

Lee-senior punched Hidan squarely on the jaw, thus sending the man flying six feet away, whereas Lee aimed a kick at Neji, who was quick enough to block it. Still, with the amount of force on the kick, the Hyuuga staggered a bit and winced, knowing fully well that an ugly bruise was about to show some time soon.

"Fighting against a gym mate!" Lee-senior 'tsked' as he shook his head in dismay. "Hidan! Neji! I thought you two knew better than to defile the sanctity of our brotherhood! What has happened while I was away for my daily run with my favourite pupil?!"

Hidan cursed, spitting the blood from his cut lower lip, but he did not reply Lee-senior's question. Instead, he looked away in contempt.

"Apologies, Gai-sensei," Neji intoned monotonously, bowing at the older version of Lee. "I was not able to control myself and acted harshly."

Lee-senior, now known to Tenten as Gai-sensei, nodded.

"An explosion of youthful vigor. That is typical of men your age, Neji. But I would appreciate it more if you channel that fiery spirit of yours at the punching bags, not on your mates."

Satisfied by the solemn nod from the Hyuuga, Gai-sensei flashed a grin at Neji, who smartly looked away, and then turned to Hidan, who sported a glare that meant "Piss off and die in a fire, fucktard!"

"Hm!" Gai-sensei huffed, staring pointedly at the glowering Hidan.

Nothing happened.

"Hm!" Gai-sensei repeated, not at all fazed at the glare Hidan was giving him. Instead, the man seemed even more forceful than ever, 'Hm-ing!' at every interval until Hidan heaved a defeated sigh.

"Fine!" Hidan grumbled as he slowly dusted his pants. "Sorry for being an ass Hyuuga. And for hitting on your girlfriend. Can't blame me though, she's fucking sexy."

A tensed silence followed after Hidan's statement, only to be broken when Gai-sensei spoke, tone sounding unconvinced and very much confused.

"Neji's got a girlfriend?"

Hidan said nothing, merely shrugged and nodded his head at Tenten's way, prompting Gai-sensei to follow where he gestured.

Brown met dark coal eyes, and Tenten resisted the urge to squeak as Gai-sensei stared at her, as if she was one entirely new creature yet to be discovered.

Gai-sensei stared and stared before his eyebrows, which were much thicker than Lee's, wiggled like a pair of struggling caterpillars. Then, tears flowed endlessly from his eyes and snot dripped soon after. He was sniffling and hiccupping loudly that Tenten wondered if the man was alright. She then asked him.

He nodded, and without warning, charged himself toward Tenten in that scary, whirlwind-like speed of his. He screamed something about YOUTH, tears spilling like waterfalls, while the background suddenly changed to that of a dramatic sunset with equally dramatic waves of the ocean crashing against the earth. Lee looked positively delighted by it all.

Tenten watched in horror as the green-clad man skipped his merry way to her. Inwardly, she had to wonder why this Gai-sensei person had not reached her yet, given his abnormally fast speed. When she tilted her head in wonder, she realized that Gai's steps were now in slow motion and that he was deliberately doing it to make things more... dramatic.

"Spring...time...of...YOUTH!" He declared tearfully, and Tenten raised a brow because the man even slow-motioned his speech.

Gai was already an arm away from Tenten, but before he could cling to the girl like a giant (green!) squid, he was physically hauled away by Neji.

The man lost his footing, stumbled, and grumbled out loud when his fanny met the floor ungently, but the huge grin on his face never vanished. Instead, it shone even brighter, making Lee cheer in adoration.

"Beautiful lady!" Gai-sensei all but announced and lively stood up, like a stubborn weed. "Is Hidan not lying to me? Are you really sharing the wonders of your springtime of romance with my prodigious student?"

Tenten nodded warily. Gai beamed like a string of neon lights on a cold, dark winter night.

"How inspiring! And Neji, my boy!" Gai turned to Neji and made a move to hug the Hyuuga but stopped when Neji glared at him. "You have excellent choices in women! Those eyes of yours truly are sharp!"

Neji grunted in reply, but by then, Gai was already facing Tenten, leaping the tiny distance between them to grab the girl's hand. Tenten made an effort not to look as flabbergasted as she was feeling deep, deep down, for Neji's sake.

"My name is Maito Gai, little blossom. I am Neji's gym instructor!" He flashed Tenten a smile, and the girl discreetly looked away. Neji did warn her that Lee emulated this man, and if Lee had such sparkling, almost blinding, set of teeth, well... she was not taking any chances with Gai-sensei.

"My name is Sarutobi Tenten, sir. It's nice to meet you."

"Tenten! Heaven! A very fitting name for such a lovely lotus in the prime of her youth! Indeed, words cannot describe my delight by meeting you, Miss Tenten!"

Then, despite Neji's efforts of keeping the man away, Gai slung an arm around Tenten while he pumped a fist up in the air, tears once again flowing from his eyes and aura sparkling in the name of youth.

"Yoooosh!" He boomed with glee. "For my student, who has discovered the beauty of dating, we must celebrate! My treat!"

Everyone else in the room roared in affirmation, throwing a few congratulations at Neji who was too stunned to move. There were a couple of snickers and amused snorts too, and had Neji's brain functioned much better, he would have glared at those who had the balls to laugh at him.

And then everyone was moving along, most likely to where Gai was treating them. Lee's jubilant praises, all directed at their teacher who soaked every bit of the praises like a sponge, filled the air, even as the gym doors closed, leaving Neji and Tenten all alone in the room.

As the Hyuuga stood there in quiet contemplation, because his bright mind just could not process what the fuck just happened, Tenten slowly neared him and hesitantly grabbed his hand, making Neji jump just a little bit.

"Gai-san said we were celebrating at Ichiraku's," the girl explained, gingerly holding his hand. "I don't know where that is, so... lead the way for me?"

Neji shrugged and grunted before pulling his hand away. Tenten sighed softly, feeling a little bit sad at the unspoken rejection. But before she could take a step, Neji was suddenly beside her.

And without talking, he entwined his hand on hers, his fingers filling the gaps of her hand and making the girl flush a deep red.

"I apologize for all... this," Neji murmured softly, tilting his head away so that Tenten would not be able to see the tiny blush on his face.

"It's okay," Tenten whispered, and to assure him, she squeezed his hand and smiled giddily when she felt him squeeze back.

Smilingly, the two moved, hand-in-hand, to the double doors of the gym. Like the perfect gentleman that he was, Neji opened the door for her and Tenten smiled in gratitude.

Words were no longer important as they stared at each other's eyes, their grip on the other's hand never weakening. Tenten grinned happily and Neji smiled boyishly.

The scene was perfect.

The moment was beautiful.

And everything in the world was simply wonderful.

But of course, all good things never last.

All it took was a flash from a camera, and the couple sprang apart from each other as if they were electrocuted.

"Such beautiful, raw emotions!" Gai gushed as he looked at the picture on his (green!) camera. "Moments such as this need to be treasured and awed!"

The man once again bawled at the sheer youthfulness that was NejiTen (here, both participants raised a brow), completely missing the way Neji stalked his way to him with a murderous aura that screamed, 'KILL! KILL! KILL!'

**-OoO-**

**NOTES:**

OMG, it's the king of SYMMETRY! Hello again,** DeaththeKid20**! So good to hear from you again!

Oh hai guys! I'm back! Did you miss me?

-crickets-

Okay... :(

Anyway, I'm back with my Sunday updates. Thanks very much for being patient with me. And yes, the vacation I had was perfect. And my nephew's starting to walk! It's crazy having to babysit him now! xD

Also, since you guys love the preview so much (and no, this fic is not going M rated), here's next chapter's preview.

**He was a man on a mission now, and he was determined to make things better with Sarutobi Tenten. If she still wanted him, he would never let go, ever again. If she refused him... well, he'd have to turn on his 'bad boy' charm and win her heart all over again.**

**At the thought of seeing her again, Hozuki Suigetsu had to grin.**

Yay! He's finally here! Oh, and final note. I'm in the process of editing my earlier chapters. If you guys receive multiple e-mail notifications (I hope not) because I will be deleting then uploading the previous chapters, I apologize in advance.

That's all for now!

Fruity, out!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**WARNING: **OOC Characters. And fluff. Lots and lots of fluff that will make your teeth rot and your brain combust.

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 10: Of First Kisses and First Boyfriends**

**-OoO-**

To: Neji

From: Tenten

It's exactly 11:45 in my watch! So you better be eating lunch, mister, or else I'm telling Hiashi-san on you! :D

...

To: Tenten

From: Neji

I'm on it, mother. Let me just finish this one paper work.

...

To: Neji

From: Tenten

That's what you said last time! :I And then you forgot to eat so you had a stomach ache... Dx/

...

To: Tenten

From: Neji

I won't forget. I promise.

...

To: Neji

From: Tenten

You better not! Or I'm marching down at your office and force feed you! xD

...

To: Tenten

From: Neji

On second thought, I might just forget. So do come here. I miss you already. :(

**-OoO-**

Tenten grinned.

She could not help it. After all, Neji hardly showed this playful side of his to anyone, and she always felt special whenever he did this with her.

Tenten read the message again and again, her smile getting wider and wider. She did not even notice someone tugging at her sleeve and calling out her name over and over again, not until her co-worker pluck the phone out of her hands.

"Honestly, Tenten!" Matsuri exclaimed, pouting slightly at the bun-haired beauty. "Ranmaru's been calling you for the past five minutes! Give him some attention, why don't you?"

Blinking rapidly, Tenten stared at her brunette co-worker, who crossed her arms on her chest and nodded at Tenten's side, making the latter look.

Little five-year-old Ranmaru stared back, deep violet eyes fixed on his caretaker curiously, with a storybook in his hand. He eagerly handed said book to Tenten when he noticed that he finally had her attention, before firmly settling himself on the lady's lap.

Meanwhile, Tenten fought the urge to smack her herself with a well-aimed punch. How the heck did she forget story time?! The kids always liked a good story after their snack time, and they always picked her because (as they claimed) she always made an effort to change her voices to suit each character in the story.

"You give the characters individuality," Matsuri once explained, and the kids nodded along, although most of them don't really understand what "individuality" meant. "That's why the kids love it when you read to them."

Finally in her "work mode" (and firmly pushing those giddy feelings of hers when thinking about Neji), Tenten cleared her throat and opened the book, whereas Matsuri herded the other kids to form a circle as the story started.

"Alrighty guys!" Tenten announced happily once all the kids had settled. "It's story time!" She giggled when a chorus of delighted screams filled the room. "Today's story will be about... Beauty and the Beast!"

The kids cheered once more, but among all the ruckus, one hand shot up. Tenten quickly called the boy's name, thinking that the little tyke wanted to go "weewee" first before the story started.

Instead, she got a cheesy grin that oddly reminded her of her little brother, and this.

"Can we talk about your boyfriend instead, Tenten-sensei?" The little boy, Inari, asked as he grinned cutely.

"I hear he's so handsome!" One of the girls gushed, and sighed dreamily. "Like a prince!"

"Well, I saw him!" Another boasted to his peers. "And he's got this really super cool car! And it's so shiny!"

The other children "ooh-ed" and "aah-ed" at all the revelations regarding their teacher's boyfriend, and pretty soon, the class were in disarray as the children shared some more facts on Tenten-sensei's mystery guy. Others demanded a name.

"Why doesn't he come early, Tenten-sensei?" Ranmaru innocently ask as he adjusted himself on his sensei's lap so he could turn to look at her. "I wanna see him! He sounds like a really cool person!"

"We-Well... Neji has to work and..."

"Oh, so Neji's his name!" Inari exclaimed triumphantly, before chanting "Neji" like a mantra. His classmates soon followed, and a few sang "Neji and Tenten-sensei, sitting on a tree" loudly.

Tenten morphed into a big cherry, steam popping out of her ears, as the kids continued to swap stories about this Neji person.

"Help me!" Tenten hissed at her giggling partner, but Matsuri only shook her head at the flushing Sarutobi.

"Nuh-uh!" Matsuri replied, sticking her tongue out at Tenten. "This is what you get for daydreaming on the job, Tennie!"

Blushing like a ripe tomato, Tenten immediately proceeded to think of a good diversion and came with one, fool-proof, devious solution. Steeling herself, Tenten took one deep breath and calmly coaxed the kids to settle down.

And once the kids had somewhat settled down, Tenten eyed each little child and coughed, before declaring to the wide-eyed scamps that Matsuri's boyfriend had a really cool tattoo on his forehead!

She inwardly cackled triumphantly when all the kids gathered around their other teacher instead, all thoughts of Neji forgotten as they bombarded Matsuri-sensei with questions such as, "What's his name, sensei?", "What does he look like, sensei?", and, "A tattoo? Is he a yankee, sensei?"

**-OoO-**

True to his word, Neji did stop for lunch the moment he finished his papers.

Rising from his seat, he stretched and groaned in satisfaction as he felt the kinks on his back from hunching slowly coming undone. Then, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the latest message from Tenten, which simply read, "Happy eating :D".

He smiled slightly, wondering if perhaps his girlfriend was a magical girl or something. Because really, he could not find any explanation as to how Tenten's messages always make his day and give him this burst of energy he severely needed to work under his uncle, especially now that he was promoted as Hiashi's secretary.

And speaking of Hyuuga Hiashi, Neji vaguely heard the door of his uncle's office open, and soon, the older Hyuuga walked out of the room, gaze immediately set on the phone in his nephew's hand.

He raised a brow.

"I take it Tenten reminded you to eat lunch?" He asked, and when Neji answered in affirmative, he nodded pleasantly. "Very good. That means you and I are dining together, nephew."

Hiashi led the way, and as soon as Neji pocketed his phone, he trailed along his uncle, hoping that the man would not start any conversation, because when he and Tenten started dating, his uncle had been relentless in asking Neji when the wedding will be and how soon will he be able to hold his first grandchild. Simply put, it was starting to grate Neji's nerves.

The walk along the hallway going to the elevator was silent, and Neji prayed to every god listening that the quietness would remain until the whole lunch was over.

Unfortunately for the young Hyuuga, once they were inside the elevator going down, his uncle soon cleared his throat – a signal that he was in a mood for talking.

"How long have you and Tenten started going out, nephew?" The man asked casually, checking his wrist watch for the time.

"About four months now, sir." Neji answered truthfully, gaze set on the elevator doors. "Actually, it will be five months next week."

His uncle nodded in understanding. The elevator door opened with a shrill "ding", revealing a generic-looking employee. However, when said employee noticed that he would be sharing the ride with (two!) Hyuugas, he immediately stuttered an excuse and bolted away from the elevator doors.

Hiashi stared and said nothing – the man merely pressed the button going down once more, unmindful of the obviously scared out of his wits employee.

"And yet, she still calls me Hiashi-san," the older Hyuuga muttered as soon as the doors closed once more. "I want her to call me uncle as well, nephew."

Neji narrowed his eyes and answered as diplomatically as he could. "I'll discuss it with her sir."

"I'd like that, Neji," answered Hiashi, clearly pleased at his nephew's answer. "Honestly. You've been dating for four, almost five months, so it's only natural that she starts treating us as family, yes?"

Neji grunted in reply, signalling Hiashi to continue on.

"I'm glad you agree, nephew. I was dreading that you would dispute my suggestion." Hiashi spoke, clearly not seeing (or pretty much, ignoring) the glare that Neji directed straight ahead. "How is our relationship with the young lady, Neji?"

Neji sighed softly, pinching the bridge of his nose for the upcoming headache. He knew where this conversation was going, and a quick glance at the elevator's screen warned him that they were still on the eighth floor, meaning he will have to endure his uncle's probing for a good two minutes.

"Wonderful," was Neji's curt reply.

"I can tell," Hiashi replied smoothly, "Although it baffles me that neither of you use pet names for each other." The elevator "dinged" before it opened, and the two men stepped out. "Pet names are essential to a healthy relationship, correct?"

"Not exactly, sir." Neji replied calmly. "And neither Tenten nor I use such forms of endearment because we both think it's silly." That, and they were both awful at making cutesy names for each other, but his uncle need not know that, of course.

"I see," Hiashi murmured, before his gaze turned distant and reminiscent. "I remember, I used to call my Hina 'wifey'. She'd always blush whenever I do so. It was rather appealing."

Neji wisely chose to no longer speak, although he was quite shocked that his uncle was now talking about his deceased wife. Hyuuga Hina, as far as Neji could remember, was such a frail woman with the softest voice and the kindest heart.

Unfortunately, the poor woman had met an accident on her way home one day. The driver had been too drunk to notice that he was slowly losing control of his vehicle, and Hina had been too slow to react immediately.

Hinata was six and Hanabi was one when the accident that stole their mother's life happened. Hiashi was too shaken by the news, and ever since, never felt whole again. Until now, the man still found it difficult to speak about his beloved wife, so Neji had to wonder what his uncle ate that made him speak openly about his wife, when the man sighed softly.

"Whenever I see you and Tenten together, I am reminded of my own younger days," Hiashi explained, eyes till far and distant. Neji could only nod solemnly in response.

The two men entered the company's pantry in companiable silence. They grabbed their own trays and fell in line, each trapped in their own minds as they waited for their own turn.

"I take it you two have kissed already?"

Neji turned his head toward his uncle so fast, he could have sworn his neck cracked (and the person behind him, the same generic-looking employee at the elevator, was hit by Neji's hair. The man wisely chose to stay quiet, even when his face stung). His neck was definitely aching, so Neji had to reach and massage the sore area before he replied his uncle.

"Pardon me?"

"Kiss. On the lips." Hiashi casually answered, pointing at his choice of food for lunch. "I'm sure you've done it?"

When Neji was deadly silent, Hiashi heaved a breath.

"Neji?"

"I... haven't, sir. She might not be comfortable about it."

"Nephew, allow me to tell you something," Hiashi grabbed his tray, thanking the cafeteria personnel, and left the line. "Women are attracted to gentlemen, and they appreciate it when a man keeps his hands to himself on the first few dates."

Luckily, they found a table despite the pantry being busy, and Hiashi immediately staked claim on said table by placing his tray on it.

"However, you and Tenten have been dating for months. It's only proper that you two have become more intimate with each other."

Neji, as well, placed his tray on the table, his mind processing on what his uncle had shared to him. Truthfully, the man had a point – it was perhaps time to have an upgrade on their relationship, and he was sure Tenten would not overreact if he asked.

Sighing, Neji ran his fingers against his scalp.

"I'll see what I can do about it, sir."

**-OoO-**

The remaining five hours in the office was spent in trepidation.

As Neji drove toward the day care center where Tenten worked, he could not help but feel just a little bit jittery. Being able to kiss her lips sounded so tempting during the conversation he had with his uncle, but now that he was so near to seeing and asking Tenten, Neji suddenly felt sick and nervous.

He wondered what Tenten's reaction would be. Would she say yes? Or would she reason out that she was not ready yet? Or maybe she would laugh at him and think he was just joking? Or she would even slap him and call him a pervert? Would she break up with him?!

The many thoughts that pervaded his mind became distractions, especially that last one, that Neji did not even know how he managed to reach the day care center in one piece. When his girlfriend clambered on the passenger's seat, filling his car with that sweet strawberry scent of hers, Neji's mind somewhat calmed down.

She placed a chaste kiss on Neji's cheek and giggled when a blush appeared on the Hyuuga's pale skin.

"How was your day?" Tenten asked happily as she buckled her seatbelt. Outside, Matsuri waved her goodbye to both Neji and Tenten, before wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's waist.

"Same old, same old." Neji replied neutrally as he drove the car. "Uncle's getting relentless, by the way. He's really keen in having me learn everything as much as possible."

"He sees your potential, Neji. You're a really smart guy, and Hiashi-san knows you can handle everything he dishes out on you." Tenten said as she opened a box of pocky and handed one to Neji, who took a bite.

"I'm honoured," Neji replied, "but that's not what I'm worried about actually."

He stopped at a red light and watched as a mother and her daughter cross the street. Beside him, Tenten fidgeted in her seat as she reached for her phone, pocky sticking out of her mouth.

"Are we talking about how Hiashi-san wants me to call him uncle from now on?"

Despite his renowned control over his emotions, Neji could not stop himself from turning to his girlfriend, his face a mixture of shock, horror, humiliation, and a tiny bit of anger.

"What." Neji could only say, his attention all focused on Tenten.

"Eyes on the road, please." Tenten advised smilingly. "Well, he sent me a text message about that. And I told him I don't mind calling him 'Uncle Hiashi' from now on."

There was another red light, so Neji chanced a glance at the text message on Tenten's phone. True enough, there was one from his uncle that asked Tenten if she could "call me Uncle Hiashi from now on? :D", to which Tenten replied with, "Sure, Uncle Hiashi. ^.^"

Neji could only groan exasperatedly. It was one thing for his uncle to send a message to Tenten, but to put a smiley on it? Oh yeah, talk about desperate.

"You don't... like me calling him uncle, Neji?"

The Hyuuga shook his head.

"It's not that," he replied sourly, inwardly thankful that they had finally arrived at her home. "I guess you could say I'm a little embarrassed. My uncle can be quite..." humiliating, eccentric, peculiar, odd... and the list goes on.

He parked the car just in front of the gate and immediately left the vehicle. He shut his eyes in mortification and heard the other door of the car open and then close.

Moments later, he felt soft arms wound around his neck, and when he opened his eyes, lavender met sepia.

"Your uncle's just showing his support of our relationship," Tenten kindly said and gave Neji a charming smile. "I'm quite touched, to tell you honestly."

Heart beating fast, an occurrence whenever he was in close proximity with Tenten, Neji could only nod as he savoured the moment of having his girlfriend so near him. And mustering enough courage, he raised a trembling hand to cup her cheek and leaned in a little bit closer.

"There's something else I want to do," he whispered huskily, fully aware that they were so close that they shared one breath.

He swiftly closed the gap without further ado and revelled in the emotions that burst in his heart. Her lips were so soft, just as he imagined they would be, and the thought that he was finally kissing Tenten made his stomach jump and roll in its place.

Before the multitude of sensations overwhelmed him, Neji let go and rested his forehead against his girlfriend's. He smiled boyishly as he shared eye contact with Tenten, who now sported the cutes blush on her pretty face.

Then, it was Tenten who stood up on her tiptoes as she kissed him. Her hold on his neck tightened as she deepened the kiss, whereas Neji was all too eager to reciprocate by snaking his arms around her waist.

Finally, after a few seconds, the need to breathe won, and both Neji and Tenten separated, eyes still locked in on their partner.

"Wow," Tenten breathed out, panting just a little bit.

Neji nodded, not trusting himself to speak yet since his vocal cords refused to cooperate with him. Gently, he pushed Tenten toward the gate, and at the girl's questioning glance, Neji smiled slightly.

"I'll be too tempted to kiss you again and again if you're near me," he explained lightly, chuckling just a bit when Tenten's cheeks grew even redder. "And besides, your brother is watching."

Indeed, when Tenten turned around, she spotted Konohamaru spying in on them at his bedroom's window. Tenten laughed a bit when the boy sported a peculiar look – like he just watched the grossest movie he had even seen in his entire life.

"Yeah, I kind of promised him I'd help with his homework," Tenten said sheepishly. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked Neji, who nodded.

"Of course," he replied before he reached out to open the gate. "Now go inside and stop bewitching me with your beauty, you enchantress."

Tenten stuck her tongue out at him, swiftly pecked him on the lips (much to Neji's surprise and delight), and then scurried a good distance away from her boyfriend.

"Bye, Neji!" Tenten said before she hurriedly close the gate, leaving Neji to just stand there for a moment, eyes still wide in his shock. When he recovered, he shook his head slightly, before returning to his car, the memory of their kiss still fresh in his mind.

**-OoO-**

He drew his jacket closer, as another strong gust of wind blew. He sneezed once again and then cursed out loud at the weather. But then again, he should have known better! It was nearing winter, after all. He grumbled once more, before silently promising himself to find a better apartment. One that had a heater or something.

He sighed for the nth time and muttered to himself why he was doing this. Then, as if struck by inspiration, he reminded himself that he needed to see her, needed to speak to her. Maybe even ask for her forgiveness because he had been an asshole to her – to _them_.

Another strong wind howled, making his tiny apartment room to rattle, but this time, he refused to give up. Tomorrow, he promised himself, he'd definitely find a better place. There was no way nature was stopping him because...

He was a man on a mission now, and he was determined to make things better with Sarutobi Tenten. If she still wanted him, he would never let go, ever again. If she refused him... well, he'd have to turn on his 'bad boy' charm and win her heart all over again.

At the thought of seeing her again, Hozuki Suigetsu had to grin.

**-OoO-**

**NOTES:**

Hm, not much to say, so I'll just thank my anon reviewers.

**DeaththeKid20**: What can I say? I love putting my boys to those awkward situations. Why else did I make Chihiro slap Haku? XD

**PewPew:** Oh hai, a new person whom I really, really don't know! Thank you so much, new person! And uhhh... when I can see the next chapters for your "Kill the Messenger" and "Rookie Roulette"? Because I wanna see them! But I will have to hunt you down first because I don't know who you are. ;)

Also, a super short preview!

"**I'd ask my secretary, but Shizune's on leave," Tsunade replied before she took Suigetsu's resum****é**** and scrutinized it. "So you really don't mind if I hire him?"**

**Hiruzen shook his head. "Not at all."**

Anyway, don't forget to show Fruity some love. Reviews/Faves/Alerts are highly treasured and Constructive Criticisms are very much appreciated. Flames shall be used to power my steam-powered oven to make cake.

Fruity, out!


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**WARNING: **Rated **T **for language. Characters may be quite OOC as well.

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 11: Bad Dog! No cookies for you!**

**-OoO-**

Sarutobi Hiruzen had to sigh, knowing that by attending this little meeting, he would not be able to watch the latest episode of that TV series he was anticipating weekly. A shame, really, because last week's episode was such a cliffhanger! Seriously, what was the director thinking when he ended the episode with the hero getting shot by the enemy?

Tsk, he wanted to know if the hero made it out alive or not...

Oh well. At least, he thought to himself, the classes were over hours ago so there were no children running around the halls and no teachers to call him out and start chatting with him with mundane things or maybe even complain to him about Konohamaru's latest pranks. (He was definitely not going to like the latter part, of course).

So, he quietly crossed the hallways, his feet mechanically taking him to the specific office where he was needed.

Upon arriving, Hiruzen's beady eyes stared at the familiar door slowly, chuckling a little bit as the rush of memories tumbled in his mind. He knocked twice, and once he heard someone on the other side grant him entrance, he opened the door and went in.

His eyes took in the many stacks of paper littered everywhere in the room. Most of the documents were piled up haphazardly on the table, covering the person on the other side, although Hiruzen could see a name plate on said table, with the name "Senju Tsunade" written on it in bold letters.

He coughed, hoping to gain Tsunade's attention, but the person on the other side did not reply. Instead, Hiruzen could only hear the furious scribbling and muffled grumbles.

The old man made his way closer and dragged a chair, settling himself in front of the woman's desk. He sat and patiently waited for Tsunade to finish what she had to finish.

The minutes ticked by as Hiruzen closed his eyes. He could use a cup of tea right now, he thought, but seeing as there was no one else in the room except for him and Tsunade, he decided to keep quiet about it.

The clock went on and on, but Tsunade was still unaware of his presence. He was in no hurry anyway, as the clock taught him that his show had finished five minutes ago. Besides, he was sure that the episode would soon be uploaded online soon enough.

And more than that, poor Tsunade was really swamped as the school's principal, what with all the papers she needed to work on, and he sighed softly to himself. Yeah, he knew how tiresome being a school principal could be, so he waited.

Silence ensued as only the ticking of the clock filled the air. Tsunade, as Hiruzen observed, was no longer writing, and he deduced that perhaps the woman was now reading some of the documents.

'_Very good, Tsunade,_' he thought approvingly while nodding his head, '_it's always a smart move to review your papers before approving or declining them._'

He sat there, praising the woman for her wisdom and himself for picking Tsunade to succeed him when he resigned as the principal, when...

SNORE.

Hiruzen's eyes snapped open as he heard the unmistakable sound of someone snoring. He wildly looked around for the source, and when he finally caught on as to who was sleeping, the palm of his hand met his face.

"Tsunade, it is very irresponsible of you to doze off when you have a guest waiting for you," he spoke, sounding more like he was scolding a little girl than a grown woman.

And speaking of said grown woman, Tsunade jumped at the sound of his voice. She failed her arms around uncontrollably, therefore sending the papers on her desk to fly around. She hastily wiped the drool on her lips as she vainly tried to compose herself in front of her visitor.

Her hands immediately grabbed her hair and tried to finger-comb her unkempt tresses hastily. Her eyes, almond-like and terribly bloodshot, blinked rapidly as she focused on the man seated in front of her.

Finally, she recognized Hiruzen, who simply sat and enjoyed her rattled state, and pouted.

"Damn it, I thought you were a kid's parent or something!" Tsunade hissed as she slumped on her chair thankfully. "Don't sneak up on me like that, ever again, Sarutobi-sensei!"

"I didn't sneak up on you," Hiruzen calmly replied. "You gave me permission to enter, remember?"

Tsunade tilted her head, her blonde pigtails moving along, and raised a brow. "I did?" She asked and when Hiruzen nodded, she heaved a long sigh.

"Well, you're not going to report me, are you?"

"No, I've been in your position years ago. I know how taxing being the principal can be." Hiruzen said as he procured a cigarette stick on one of his pockets. He lighted it and took one long swig, making Tsunade frown.

"No smoking in the school's zone, sensei."

Hiruzen shrugged. "No drinking either." He said and eyed the many bottles of sake that were poorly hidden by the blonde principal. "But you don't see me complaining now, do you, Tsunade?"

"Touché." Tsunade grumbled, as she picked some of the documents lying on the floor. "How did you even manage all of this paper work, I wonder? These hateful things are endless!"

Hiruzen chuckled amusedly. "Patience, my student. You just need a little bit of patience," he advised kindly and smiled when Tsunade only groaned tiredly. "But I'm sure you have more pressing matters to discuss with me other than complain about your workload?"

Tsunade said nothing, but she opened one of the drawers containing more papers and swiftly dug through them methodically. She muttered something under her breath as she searched, and when she found what she was looking for, she immediately showed it to Hiruzen.

"Kurenai will soon have to go for her maternity leave, and the school's currently looking for a substitute teacher," Tsunade explained lightly, watching for any reaction on Hiruzen's part as the old man studied the paper given to him. "He applied and that's his resumé."

Hiruzen nodded as he continued studying the paper in his hands. He frowned at the picture of a grinning, blue-haired man on the upper right side of the document, before proceeding to read his biography.

"Hozuki Suigetsu," he announced. "Age, 23 years old. A BS in Chemistry graduate." He handed the resumé back to Tsunade and closed his eyes. "Why do you need to tell me this, Tsunade?"

The blonde woman leaned back on her chair. "We badly need a sub, and he's the only applicant. I don't really feel well hiring him."

When Hiruzen raised a brow, Tsunade shrugged.

"He dumped Tenten-chan, after all. He doesn't deserve a job here."

Hiruzen shook his head and laughed lightly. It was no secret that Tsunade doted on Tenten like an older sister, seeing as the young Sarutobi was once a playmate of Tsunade's little brother before he died of leukemia.

Come to think of it, Tenten was the only friend of Senju Nawaki, since most of the kids their age avoided the poor little boy like a plague, believing that his illness was highly contagious.

"Tsunade, be reasonable," Hiruzen coaxed, earning him a glare from the lady principal.

"He's an ass! No way am I letting him teach here!" Tsunade crossed her arms on her rather ample chest and huffed. "And I'm actually shocked that you're convincing me to hire him!"

Hiruzen drew another swig of his cigarette before exhaling. "You badly need a substitute teacher. You said it yourself. And while you're at it, keep an eye on Asuma as well. The poor man's been on edge as 'The Day' is fast approaching."

A muffled groan escaped the blonde woman's throat. "God damn Sarutobi! Can't keep his urges to himself!" Tsunade grumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I need a drink."

Without waiting for a reply from Hiruzen, Tsunade quickly grabbed one of her sake bottles and immediately downed its contents like a parched traveller.

"Want some?" She offered to Hiruzen who denied the drink graciously. "More for me then."

"I'd appreciate some tea though. Do you have any?"

"I'd ask my secretary, but Shizune's on leave," Tsunade replied before she took Suigetsu's resumé and scrutinized it. "So, you really don't mind if I hire him?"

Hiruzen shook his head. "Not at all."

"He'll be sharing one class with Konohamaru, I believe. Think he can handle it?"

The elder Sarutobi was quick to defend his grandchild. "He may be quite a prankster at times, Tsunade, but I assure you that Konohamaru will handle this like a thinking adult. He'll behave."

"Wasn't talking about your grandkid, sensei. I was talking about him." Tsunade pointed at the grinning picture of Suigetsu. "No doubt Konohamaru will make his life a living hell here."

Seconds ticked before Tsunade grinned evilly. "Oh, on second thought, consider this Suigetsu brat hired!"

Across her, Hiruzen took his third swig of the cigarette on his hand, watching the scheming gleam on the blonde lady's eyes sceptically.

"God save his soul," murmured the old man to himself as Tsunade stamped a "HIRED" mark on the resumé.

**-OoO-**

"I shall punish you! In the name of the Nine Tails!"

Pen in hand, Konohamaru watched in a daze as Umameshi Naruko fought against the dastardly villain Hebimaru using her "Wand of Nine Tails". His homework, which was all over the coffee table and the floor, lay forgotten as the boy focused more on the show than his studies.

When the commercials came, Konohamaru sighed and his eyes wandered to his other companion, before his brows raised and reached his hairline. He resisted the urge to groan when he heard his sister giggle girlishly, her phone in her hand.

"Unbelievable." Konohamaru whispered as he patted Tobi's head, who was laying on the rug beside his master. The young animal, no longer a puppy, barked in confirmation, as if he understood what Konohamaru was talking about.

Ever since his sister started that Neji guy, Tenten was always on her phone, her attention never leaving the technology's screen as she waited for the man's reply. Konohamaru sighed once more when the phone lit up and vibrated, making Tenten smile happily as she read the newest message. By the time she was done reading and replying, the show was back and picked up where it left off.

Konohamaru once more watched the television that showed the epic battle between the Fox Princess Naruko and her enemy, the Prince of Snakes. Another giggle was heard, and Konohamaru purposely increased the volume, hoping to snatch his sister's attention. Beside him, Tobi yelped as the increased volume made it impossible for him to sleep.

Konohamaru knew that he was acting like a brat, but he really did miss Tenten. At first, he did not mind that Neji was dating his sister, even if said man was related to Konohamaru's rival. After all, the Hyuuga was far too prim and proper that Konohamaru was sure that Neji would never take advantage of Tenten like Suigetsu did.

Plus, he was smart, and from the looks of it, Tenten seemed to really, really, _really_ like him. And vice versa.

So really. Konohamaru should be happy... but he wasn't.

Because slowly but surely, Hyuuga Neji was stealing his sister away from him. What used to be her bonding time with him now all revolved around Neji. Even now, when Tenten was supposed to be helping him with his homework, she was spending it on her phone, texting her boyfriend.

Unconsciously, Konohamaru pressed the volume button more, and only when someone touched his shoulder and gently plucked the remote from his hand did Konohamaru snap out of his reverie.

"It's too loud, Konohamaru!" Tenten spoke loudly as she hastily decreased the sound. When the volume was low enough, Tenten smiled satisfactorily. "There! All better now, right?"

Tobi barked in confirmation, and Konohamaru looked away grumpily.

"Sorry about not helping you right away. But Ino just had to share this newest gossip of hers, and you know that no one can stop Ino when she's in the mood for gossip time."

Konohamaru blinked confusedly. "Ino? So, it's not Neji?"

Tenten shook her head as she reached for one of her little brother's textbooks. "Nope! I told Neji that I'm helping you out with your homework tonight."

"O-oh..." Embarrassment heated his cheeks, which he quickly hid by reaching out to get one of his notebooks. "Well, can we start with English first? I suck at grammar."

"Okay!"

Tenten neared him and asked which part of his homework he found difficult. Konohamaru then pointed at one sentence.

"Hey, sissy?"

"Yeah?"

They were on their fourth problem now when Konohamaru decided to talk and ask. The boy paused for a moment, fiddling his pen between his thumb and pointing finger, before he continued.

"Is Neji good to you?"

His sister regarded him curiously, eyes blinking rapidly in confusion, before a smile blossomed on her face. "Very. Why do you ask?"

Konohamaru shrugged carelessly. "No reason." He started working again, before passing his answers to Tenten so she could check them. "So, you like him?"

His sister did not even look up as she answered him. "A lot, Konohamaru. I really like him a lot."

Konohamaru accepted the answer with a nod, before thanking his sister when she handed him his work back with corrections. He chewed on the end of his pen, concentration no longer on his homework but on a different thing.

"Can I ask you something, sissy?"

"Shoot."

"Promise you won't get angry?"

Tenten regarded him with raised brows. "Is this still about Neji?"

Konohamaru nodded, running his fingers through his unruly locks. "Are you planning on telling Neji... you know, everything, sissy?"

He watched as his sister pause and tremble, her eyes widening in response to what he said. Konohamaru could only sigh softly as he continued watching the many emotions that crossed Tenten's face, with fear being the dominant of them all.

"I... I don't know..." Tenten stuttered, her hands still shaking. "I want to... but... but I'm really scared he'll leave me when I do, Konohamaru."

"You should. He deserves to know," Konohamaru said wisely. "Besides, if he loves you just as much as you do, he'll accept it."

The older woman closed her eyes helplessly. "But what if he doesn't?" Tenten asked sadly.

"Then, he isn't the right guy for you," was the swift reply. "I'm just looking out for you, sissy. I mean, what if Suigetsu comes back? He'll be sure to ask."

Tenten hastily shook her head. "He wouldn't. He was the first to leave, remember?"

Konohamaru pondered for a while before nodding along. "Yeah... I guess you're right. The guy's too much of a bastard to care, anyways."

Silence once more enveloped between the two siblings as Konohamaru continued working his papers while Tenten checked his answers. The silence was only interrupted when the front door opened and in came their grandfather, announcing that he was home and he brought along some cakes for dessert.

Konohamaru and Tenten eagerly greeted him. The latter quickly latched herself on her grandfather, giving him a kiss on the cheek, whereas the former greedily took the goodies from Hiruzen, already reaching inside the box to get a piece of cake. Hiruzen wacked the boy's hand and gave him a reprimanding stare. Konohamaru sheepishly grinned in reply.

"Are Asuma and Kurenai not home yet?" Hiruzen queried, looking around for his son and daughter-in-law. He spotted the many textbooks and notebooks lying about, and smiled. "You're doing your homework? That's good."

"I helped too!" Tenten piped in, earning her a pat on her hand from her grandfather. Tobi, upon spotting the arrival of his grandpa-master, eagerly went the old man's side to get his share of patting and cuddling too.

"Yeah, but only when you're not on your phone." Konohamaru said, before smiling broadly. "Oh, hey Gramps! Guess who I just saw making out with Neji this afternoon?"

Hiruzen chuckled when Tenten turned bright red, from her hairline down to her toes.

"Is it someone I know Konohamaru?"

"Uh-huh, you know her very well Gramps. And just to add, she was all over the guy that it looked like they were eating each other's brains out!" He pulled a face, making his grandfather laugh even more.

"Konohamaru!" Tenten hissed, cheeks still fiery red. "You're exaggerating! Grandpa, he's exaggerating!"

Hiruzen laughed good-naturedly. "Oh, don't deny it, granddaughter. I was young once too. I know the feeling."

"Ew. Are you going to share us your own love story, grandpa? Coz if you are, I'm outta here!"

"Oh no, you are not!" Tenten immediately yanked Konohamaru's collar, forcing him to sit down. "You opened this topic, mister. You. Are. Staying!"

Once again, a laugh escaped from Hiruzen's lips as he watched his grandchildren in a mock fight. The knowledge that Suigetsu was back and the dread of what could happen if the man did show himself to Tenten were instantly forgotten because Hiruzen knew that his granddaughter was going to be okay.

After all, she had her family, her friends, and even Neji who will all make sure that she was happy. At the thought, he smiled to himself, before something else caught his attention.

"Konohamaru, Tobi is peeing on your homework."

A pause.

And then a dramatic shriek was heard as Konohamaru wept over his papers.

**-OoO-**

**NOTES!**

A huge thank you to everyone who read/ reviewed/ faved my story. And to my anonymous reviewers, **DeaththeKid20** and **marissa**, thank you! Also, I would like to announce that I won't be able to update next week, as I will be undergoing therapy for my spine. I hope you guys understand.

Anyway, don't forget to show Fruity some love. Reviews/Faves/Alerts are highly treasured and Constructive Criticisms are very much appreciated. Flames shall be used to warm me up, as the nights are getting colder and colder here in my country.

Fruity, out!


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**WARNING: **Rated **T **for language, OOC characters, and a kiss (or two).

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 12: Distractions. Distractions everywhere.**

**-OoO-**

"This feels wonderful!" Tenten exclaimed as she felt the fresh breeze gently blowing the strands that came loose from her usual hairstyle. "This place is beautiful, Neji!"

The Hyuuga smiled and nodded, before taking a seat next to the brunette.

For their fifth anniversary, Neji drove her miles away from the city, saying that he had something special to show her. Tenten ecstatically agreed to join him, and now, an hour later, here they were, enjoying the breathtaking scenery and the fresh air with no one but each other as company.

Tenten happily sighed and rested her head on Neji's shoulder. Her boyfriend instantly reciprocated the touch by drawing her nearer as his hand settled comfortably on her hip.

"How did you even know about this place, Neji?" Tenten queried as she adjusted herself so she could encircle her arms around Neji's waist. She ended up sitting comfortably on his lap.

"My father took me here once," Neji replied as he tucked his girlfriend's head underneath his chin. "When he was diagnosed with cancer."

Tenten said nothing, but the way she reached out for his hand and squeezed it made him feel reassured nonetheless. Neji planted a soft kiss on her crown as a silent thank you.

"Well, it's really pretty out here," Tenten murmured happily as she leaned in on him. His minty scent instantly surrounded her sense of smell, making her sigh contentedly.

"Very." Neji agreed before drawing her back a little so he could plant a kiss on Tenten's forehead. "Happy monthsary, Tenten."

Brown eyes twinkled in mirth. "I thought you said 'monthsary' sounded silly!"

"Hn."

Tenten giggled before pecking him on the lips, chuckling just a bit at the immediate redness of his cheeks. "Happy monthsary, Neji."

And just like that, talking was no longer necessary as Neji leaned in to capture Tenten's lips, who eagerly angled her head to deepen their lip lock. Her arms automatically wrapped around his neck as his own arms nestled themselves around her tiny waist.

They stayed connected for a good moment before they had to reluctantly pull away for oxygen. Tenten's lungs greedily sucked in the needed oxygen as she breathed raggedly; yet, as she barely recovered, Neji swooped in for another mind-blowing kiss that effectively stole her breath away.

Vaguely, she realized that Neji was slowly maneuvering their bodies, pushing her slowly until she felt her back gently hit the earth. The grass felt soft against her skin, and she giggled softly when some of the plants' blades reached the back of her neck and tickled her.

But Neji took this opportunity to transfer all of his amorous kisses from her lips to the side of her neck, making her squeal in surprise and pleasure. Above her, Neji chuckled.

"Ticklish?" He asked jokingly and planted a kiss on the tip of her nose when she pouted.

"Yes." Tenten begrudgingly admitted, puffing her cheeks a bit as she crossed her arms stiffly in front of her chest. "So don't do that again!"

Neji shrugged before he resumed their kissing, loving the way Tenten immediately responded with equal passion. Soon, they were back to their heated make out session, hands trailing everywhere experimentally as they each explored the other's body.

One of Tenten's hands settled at the back of Neji's head, tangling his locks with her fingers, while the other stayed firmly on his broad back. Neji, on the other hand, used one arm to steady himself so he would not crush Tenten with his weight, while his other free one roamed her body.

When he once again trailed kisses on the side of her neck so they both could take a breather, Tenten no longer stopped him, since she was far too distracted with his hand rubbing sensuously on her thigh and hip.

Even with the fabric of her pants, Tenten could feel the warmth on the pads of his palm, and she inwardly lamented her decision of wearing her pair of jeans for this moment. If she were wearing a skirt right now, she'd be enjoying skin-to-skin contact!

She mewled at the thought, making Neji groan in pure want.

However, as passionately driven as he was, Neji soon slowed down his kisses, coaxing Tenten to do the same, until such time, they were trading innocent pecks instead of the full open-mouthed kisses they had just now.

Then, Neji rolled himself off of Tenten, panting heavily as he slowly recovered from the kissing frenzy. He willed his hormones and his primal urges mentally as he lay on his side, watching Tenten who had her eyes closed.

His manly pride swelled when he realized just how _breathless_ Tenten was. The slight flush on her cheeks was a clear indication of how much she enjoyed their kisses, and her tongue darted out to lick her bruised lips, as if relieving the memory and the taste over and over again.

Neji suppressed a moan as his silvery eyes followed the pink tongue hungrily.

As if it was the signal Tenten waited for, she scooted closer to him, resting her forehead against his chest so she could hear his frantic heartbeat. She wrapped an arm around his waist, the other tracing circles on his stomach.

She pouted slightly when she received no reaction as her fingers glided along his stomach, once in a while dipping when she hit his navel. She released a groan and mumbled something incoherent against his shirt, making Neji raise a brow.

"What was that?" The Hyuuga asked lightly.

"I said," Tenten replied, angling her head slightly so she could look at Neji. "It's not fair."

"What isn't fair?" Neji asked curiously, and when his girlfriend only grumbled, he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Tenten?"

"You're not ticklish!" Tenten hissed before she pouted cutely. "It's not fair!"

She was rewarded with a chuckle.

"Oh, so you think it's funny, huh?" Tenten complained, although there was a huge smile on her face. "Well, mark my words, Hyuuga Neji! I will find your weakness! And when I do, I'll make sure to never give you a break!"

She laughed comically, intending on making her voice sound intimidating and scary. However, the effect was lost when her stomach suddenly grumbled, making her smile sheepishly.

"But first things first. I need to eat lunch."

She grinned so widely that Neji had to chuckle at her silliness. Tenten laughed along with him, as she once again buried her nose against his chest while she tightened her hold on his waist.

"I'll go get that lunch you packed for us," Neji volunteered and stood up slowly as soon as Tenten finally and reluctantly let him go.

And since he had his back turned to his girlfriend as he scouted for the picnic basket, he failed to notice the sweet smile on Tenten's lips as she gazed at him fondly.

'_Hyuuga Neji_,' Tenten mused wistfully. '_Had I only known you before Suigetsu, maybe..._' She quickly shook her head, willing for the what-ifs and the bad memories to fade. And almost instantaneously, Konohamaru's words repeated themselves inside her mind, taunting her.

'_If he loves you just as much as you do, he'll accept it._'

Gulping inwardly, Tenten sighed and prayed for strength, hoping that Neji would still love her after... once she reveals the truth to him. Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around her shoulders and began rocking to ease herself. Only when she felt something heavy drape around her shoulders did she snap to attention, her head immediately looking up and her eyes meeting Neji's concerned gaze.

"You were shivering," Neji explained as he slowly sat beside her. "I thought you'd need my jacket more than I do."

'_Jacket?_' Tenten thought wildly. A quick glance on her shoulders made her aware that Neji had indeed draped his jacket around her, and for that alone, Tenten's heart beat a little bit faster for this man beside her.

She pulled his jacket closer, loving the way his scent quickly engulfing her. Her senses calmed as she breathed in his familiar scent, and with a resolved nod, she steeled herself and looked at Neji.

"There's something I want to tell you." She said seriously.

Neji nodded and drew her closer to him once more by draping an arm around her shoulders. "I'm all ears."

"Neji," she started, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "You must know that I..."

She paused and her boyfriend planted a chaste kiss on her forehead, urging her to continue. Tenten hastily reacted by hugging him, finding comfort in his scent.

"Neji, I have to tell you that I—"

Suddenly, before Tenten could continue, a bark was heard before something brown and huge came barrelling toward the hugging couple. Tenten yelped and Neji laughed lightly, although he did angle his body so he could shield Tenten, as Tobi showed his delight by wagging his fury tail.

The dog barked once more and nuzzled his head on Neji's arm, selfishly demanding some attention as well. When Neji patted his head and Tenten tickled him behind his ear, he wagged his tail even more, before running off again to chase a squirrel he spotted.

"Good boy," Neji muttered before turning his attention to Tenten. "Now what were you going to tell me, Tenten?"

The brunette halted.

'_It's a sign,_' Tenten thought as her eyes shifted to her jumping dog before turning back to Neji. '_Now isn't the good time to tell him._'

She felt the will to confess her darkest secret fade away, so she told him something else. "I love you."

It was, of course, the truth, but there was still a part of her mind that urged her to tell him more about her relationship with Suigetsu. She was quick to crush that part mentally.

'_I'm sorry, I'm just not strong enough._´ She thought morosely, her eyes shutting themselves almost reflexively.

Hesitantly, she opened them when she felt Neji caress her cheek. Wanting to gauge Neji's reaction and hoping that the man did not find her behaviour suspicious, she peeked, opening her right eye first followed by her left eye. She blinked her eyes twice and shyly stared at her boyfriend.

And she gasped.

Despite the hand on her cheek, Neji's eyes were glazed, his mouth opening slightly, as his mind sluggishly processed what his dear girlfriend confessed to him. He momentarily closed his eyes, and when he opened them, Tenten felt her heart skip and jump against her ribcage.

"I love you too." He said clearly and surely, leaving Tenten no doubts that he really did feel for her. After all, the eyes were believed to be windows of a person's soul, and Tenten was sure that she did see love and adoration in Neji's eyes when he focused on her.

And just like that, actions followed. Tenten leaned in, just as Neji bent his head down to kiss her. And as always, once their lips fused, nothing else mattered.

Their senses were in overdrive, as the taste of each other and the warmth of their bodies and experimental touches intoxicated their entire body, mind, and soul.

Tenten once more found herself pressed against the ground as Neji slowly and gently pushed her down. She felt wandering fingers against her thigh and her arms, leaving an unexplainable tingle on her skin, before his right hand settled itself innocently on her cheek. His other hand, as always, was used as an anchor, since Neji did not want to crush her with his weight.

The once innocent kiss soon turned hotter when Neji lightly bit her lower lip, which was followed by his tongue licking the bitten area, hoping that she would allow him entrance.

She did.

And both moaned softly as their tongues touched. Pretty soon, their tongues tangled playfully, revelling in this very addicting game of dominance. Neji's hand, which was once settled on her cheek, now slipped under her shirt, and Tenten purred when his fingers lightly brush the skin underneath her breast.

But just as Neji was about to cup her still fully clothed breast, Tobi once again made his presence known by bodily slamming his head against Neji's side. The poor Hyuuga, having been preoccupied with his lady love, lost his balance and fell over, thus effectively breaking the kiss and the going naughty touches.

The dog barked, as if amused by what he did, before he scurried off to roll on the grass like the happy animal that he was. Neji could only chuckle at having been interrupted for a second time, whereas Tenten slowly sat up.

"That," Neji breathed amusedly, "is one overprotective dog."

Tenten laughed. "Tell me about it."

"I think I now know why Konohamaru insisted we bring Tobi along." Neji said as he beckoned the dog to come closer. When he did, Neji handed Tobi a treat. "He takes his job seriously."

"Very seriously." Tenten supplied, and to prove her point, she scooted closer to Neji. "Watch this."

Making sure that Tobi was staring at them, Tenten looped her arms around Neji and kissed the man's cheek. Tobi, in between munching his snack, automatically growled, thus surprising Neji.

"Wow. Remind me not to touch you with this bad boy around."

Tenten hummed in reply. "Or we could continue our make out session inside your car?" The brunette suggested, smiling coyly at Neji, who chuckled.

"That works too." He said before he leaned in for a kiss, even with Tobi around.

However, before he could kiss her, something vibrated in his pocket, making him mutter a curse. He hurriedly pulled the hateful cock-blocking object, which was his phone, and showed it to Tenten as proof of some sort. The lady nodded in understanding.

"Go. Tobi and I will play while you take that."

Neji excused himself as he stood up and distanced himself from his girlfriend and her dog. When he was a few feet away, he pressed the 'Accept' button and greeted his caller as pleasantly as possible.

"Good afternoon to you too, nephew." The voice on the other side replied evenly. "I trust that you are enjoying yourself?"

"Yes uncle." '_Although you calling me ruined the mood, thanks very much.'_

"I see." There was a few shuffling noise on the other side, before Hiashi spoke once more. "Did you use condoms? I hope you didn't."

"_What?!_"

"I said," the man spoke seriously, "I may have left some documents in your car. Please bring them to me."

"Documents?" Neji asked as he began checking his car. True enough, there was a dark suitcase at the backseat, which now had a few scratches on it, courtesy of Tobi. "Uncle, I am on my leave."

A sigh on the other side was heard. "I know nephew. And I deeply apologize. But I really do need those files."

There was no choice, his uncle did sound like he was in desperate need for the documents, so Neji had to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Alright. Tenten and I will be there by an hour or so."

"Thank you nephew," was the relieved answer, followed by, "will I be expecting a grandchild soon, Neji?"

"Goodbye, uncle."

Neji quickly ended the call and took a moment to gather his wits. After he had calmed down just a tiny bit, he explained to Tenten about the phone call and Hiashi's favor. Luckily for him, his girlfriend was an understanding woman, so there was no hassle in convincing her to put their celebration on hold for Hiashi.

The only problem, however, was convincing Tobi not to bring along his newly found squirrel friend, who creepily had eyebrows (_Do squirrels even have eyebrows? _Neji thought as he stared in aghast at the critter) similar to Lee's. And when said creature grinned, with matching teeth-pinging and eye-winking, Neji hurriedly used his Hyuuga strength to push Tobi inside the car, before speeding away from the Lee-like creature.

**-OoO-**

Suigetsu grinned, but if he was a more emotional man, he would have cried buckets of tears. After all, he was finally able to locate a cheap apartment with good facilities.

Sure, the room was kind of small, but he'll adapt. He was good at that, anyway. Not to mention, his neighbor was kind of hot, although a little bit eccentric, loud, violent, and highly obsessed with a good-looking cop.

As was proven during that one time Suigetsu spotted her – Karin, if he remembered correctly – ogling dreamily into space. When he curiously followed her line of sight, he spotted a young man in uniform, with black hair styled like a chicken's ass (he made the mistake of speaking his mind out and was rewarded with a punch from his red-haired, glasses-wearing neighbor).

As he was watching TV shows in his new abode, his cellphone rang, and someone from the other side who introduced herself as Shizune told him that he was hired as a substitute teacher. Suigetsu was _this_ close to jumping for joy at the series of blessings coming his way.

"Come by next Monday for your orientation." Shizune happily reminded him through the phone. "Around seven in the morning. Someone from the faculty kindly volunteered to give you a tour."

"Ah, really?" Suigetsu grinned. "That's mighty nice of him." He paused and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It is a 'he', right?"

"Oh, yes!" Shizune exclaimed. "Sarutobi Asuma-sensei's a very easygoing man. I'm sure you two will get along quite nicely!"

And just like that, his _series of blessings_ came to an abrupt halt and he almost dropped his phone. "Uhhh... what's his name again?"

"Sarutobi Asuma-sensei. Don't worry, he's seen your résumé and he's already familiarized your face. He'll be the one to approach you coming Monday."

Shizune spoke some more, but his mind had already jumped to another dimension at the mention of his ex-girlfriend's uncle... who was apparently his tour guide this Monday. He said goodbye to Shizune, after thanking the woman, before clicking the button to end the call.

The phone was dropped as soon as the call ended, and soon after, Suigetsu dropped his knees on the floor, back slumping against the wall.

"I... am so dead," he muttered to himself with a sigh, silently wishing he could have the ability to turn himself into water. Yeah, that would have been a convenient power; if he felt threatened, he'd just turn into water and disappear from his enemies.

He sighed once more before he screamed a string of curses known to man for the bad luck. Five seconds later, someone was pounding on his door, demanding in a scary voice as to why Suigetsu woke her up from her beauty sleep.

The man could only groan in defeat.

**-OoO-**

**NOTES!**

**THANK YOU EVERY ONE! **I have sent each one a personal thank you note, but let me use this corner to thank my anon reviewers.

**PewPew:** Technically, you are not an anon reviewer, PewPew, my dear. But I can see that you're already having a hard time with real life, so I'll put my message here (since you can't log in right now, yeah?). Alright, let me just say this one thing. Originally, it was Hinata who called Neji. But since you miss uncle Hiashi so much, here you go! A Hiashi just for you! I hope I made you smile! :D

**Deathsy:** (Because DeathTheKid20 is too long to type, lol). Thank you as always, dahhhling! xD

**Ichigo-chan:** Ui, wag! Baka sisihin ako ng magulang mo, because you didn't do your homework. Hahahaha! Oh, and salamat! :D

In the hospital right now (don't ask xD). Good news, the place has awesome WiFi, so I don't have to worry about dying in boredom. The bad news, the food here sucks. Big time. Dx/

Also, apologies for not being able to update last week. Therapy's been killing me; every bit of my body hurts like hell. I hope you're all still reading. I promise I will finish this, but it would mean a lot to me if you guys continue your support. :D

As always! Reviews/Faves/Alerts are highly treasured and Constructive Criticisms are very much appreciated. Flames shall be used to heat up my meals, because food always tastes better when they are warm! Except for ice cream, of course.

Fruity, out!


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**WARNING: ** Language and OOC.

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 13: I Wanna Be An Astronaut**

**-OoO-**

It was a clear Monday morning, and while her classmates seized the opportunity of not having any teacher handle their class by goofing around, Hyuuga Hanabi chose this moment to review her notes for the next lesson. Iruka-sensei had been hinting for a possibility of a pop quiz this week, and if anything, Hanabi wanted to make sure she'd be ready by then.

After all, to be a good student, she had to be as calm as her Big brother Neji and as serene as her Big sister Hinata.

Someone from the back hollered an order before throwing a football to one of his mates. Unfortunately, said mate was not able to catch the ball, and it therefore hit one of the gossiping ladies in the corner.

The blonde shrieked indignantly and her friends hissed at the immature boys, who laughed at their reactions. A few who had witnessed the scene now made hooting noises as they jeered and demanded for a "kiss and make up" scenario. The teasing only made the group of boys rowdier than usual.

However, one of the jocks made the mistake of carelessly tossing the ball to his side, hitting Hanabi on the head as the girl had her attention on her notes.

Like a prayer vigil suddenly started, silence followed as the classroom was plunged into a cold and dark abyss, courtesy of one royally pissed off Hyuuga. No one dared to breathe wrongly as their eyes widened like saucers when Hanabi slowly stood up from her seat. The boy who had accidentally hit her began sweating buckets.

"Who threw that?" Hanabi asked coldly, and everyone backed out, except for he-who-had-angered-the-she-beast-of-a-president. Hanabi's pale eyes quickly glared at the boy, who, in fear, shook like a leaf.

"Do you think this is funny?" Hanabi asked as she stalked her way to her classmate, who stood glued to his spot. The boy shook his head hastily. The others prayed for his eternal repose.

Hanabi opened her mouth, most likely to give the boy an earful about discipline and manners (and maybe give the boy a chance to say goodbye to his loved ones), when somebody else cut in on the heart-gutting moment.

"That was clearly an accident," Konohamaru spoke from his seat lazily. When he felt piercing lavender eyes on him, he merely shrugged carelessly. "So calm your tits, Hyuuga. Guys don't like girls who are easily angry, you know?"

The jab was more than enough to fan the scorching flames of a Hyuuga's wrath, and everyone else gulped as the imaginary gauge that showed Hanabi's patience suddenly skyrocketed until it burst into fine dust in the wind.

In short, Hanabi was on the verge of violently snapping someone's neck until she calmed down. And that someone was no other than Sarutobi Konohamaru, who was giving her a challenging smirk.

Calmness? Gone down the drain. And serenity quickly followed as Hanabi lived up to her namesake and exploded like a firework.

"Excuse me?" Hanabi hissed angrily. "Did you say something, Sarutobi?"

"Guys also like smart girls who easily understand them," Konohamaru continued, not minding how Hanabi was ticking like a time bomb. "That's strike two, Hyuuga."

Hanabi screamed bloody murder. "You are going down, Sarutobi!"

And then she was aiming punches at Konohamaru, who laughingly dodged her strikes like a sugar-rushed monkey. When Hanabi stopped to gain her breaths, Konohamaru stuck his tongue out, fueling the Hyuuga's rage like no other.

Hanabi immediately resumed her attacks, her strikes getting faster and faster by the minute and looking even more dangerous than ever as her will to hit this infuriating boy in front of her increased.

"Are we going to stop them?" One of their classmates whispered, earning him rigorous shaking of heads from the others.

"Are you kidding me?" Another replied, his eyes glued to the epic battle in front of him. "This is so much better than that anime I'm watching!"

Some anime enthusiasts nodded along, and to keep the interest from going on, they began betting as to who will win the battle, making their class noisier than ever.

Hanabi, having finally cornered Konohamaru, smiled satisfactorily, loving the way the Sarutobi's face contort in terror, like a prey caught in the hunter's nest. She raised a hand, two fingers poised as if she was going to seal a tenketsu (whatever it was) point, when someone opened the classroom door.

All of the students were quick to their seats like ninjas, expertly playing the role of good students, now that a teacher was amongst them. So well-behaved were they that when Shizune entered the room, she smiled and praised their class's section for being so well-mannered.

"Good morning, students!" Shizune greeted, to which the students replied with equal vigor. "Now as we all know, Kurenai-sensei will be gone for a few days, as she is about to have her baby soon."

There was a round of applause, before idle chatter and muffled squeals filled the room. Some of the guys gave Konohamaru wide grins and congratulatory pats on the back, as if he was the father of the child. Konohamaru laughed in return.

Shizune beamed, being just as eager about the birth of Kurenai's child as everyone else, before she shushed the students. "So to take over her class for the mean time, I want you all to welcome your substitute teacher!"

The principal's assistant gestured toward the door, and multiple pairs of eyes followed as they curiously thought of what their new instructor would look like. Most, especially those who were failing the subject, prayed for saint or anyone with the biggest heart known to man. Others, those who could care less, stared at the door nonchalantly.

When Sarutobi Asuma, who looked to gruff and tired and weak, came in, everyone looked confused and a multitude of whispers came. Asuma only shrugged and held up a hand, effectively silencing the students.

"I'm only here as a guide for the newbie," Asuma said, his voice sounding weary, like he hasn't slept in days. "He's pretty young, so be on your best behaviour, all right?"

He stared sternly at every student; however, upon meeting Konohamaru's eyes, Asuma narrowed his own pair of orbs, silently communicating with his nephew. The younger Sarutobi looked perplexed for a moment but nodded nonetheless, making Asuma smirk proudly.

"Right. So anyway, say hello to your sub, Hozuki Suigetsu."

**-OoO-**

Minutes later, he found himself marching to the principal's office, his strides quick and his face in a permanent scowl. He did not even bother knocking when he reached the office; he merely opened the door and invited himself in, making it a point to slam the door shut.

He hid a victorious grin when Tsunade's head shot up at the sudden noise. And judging by the way her eyes were swollen and there was a tiny bit of drool on her lips, Konohamaru knew thathe did the right thing.

"What the hell are you pulling, you old hag?!" Konohamaru shouted angrily, making Tsunade twitch in annoyance. "Why is that... that bastard here?!"

"Yes, Konohamaru. Sit down, I've been expecting you."

The boy stubbornly stood up and crossed his arms on his chest. Tsunade could only raise a brow before she stood up as well.

"If you must know, I asked your grandfather before I hired that _bastard_. He was the one who convinced me to hire Suigetsu, actually."

Konohamaru's jaw drop, his mouth forming a big "o", before he shut it firmly.

"I shouldn't be too surprised," Konohamaru grumbled grouchily. "Gramps is too kind sometimes, it's really annoying."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Tsunade replied just as grumpily. She stooped down to open one of her hidden drawers and retrieved a sake bottle. She drained its contents in one gulp, making Konohamaru frown.

"No drinking in here, you old hag. You know the rules." Konohamaru said as he finally took a seat on the offered chair. Tsunade snorted.

"Sarutobi-sensei told me that too," The blonde principal said before she grinned impishly. "Planning on becoming a principal someday, kid?"

Konohamaru huffed. "Please. My dream's much more fulfilling than a lifetime of facing papers and sucking up to snobby parents."

"Oh?" Tsunade raised a brow. "What do you want to be, anyway?"

"An astronaut."

Tsunade did a double take. "What are you, five? Don't you think you're too old to be dreaming about space and rockets?"

Konohamaru frowned, feeling very much insulted. "I wanted to be a ninja when I was five." He snapped before looking away. "I'm serious about being an astronaut."

"Ah," was all Tsunade could say, before she reached out for another bottle. Konohamaru gave her a dirty glare before sighing loudly. He made a show of standing by giving another tired sigh, paired with stretching of his arms and legs.

"Well, I just needed an explanation from you," he muttered truthfully. "But if grandpa said it's okay, I guess I got no choice."

Tsunade was shocked, and she almost dropped her sake, if not for her extra fast reflex in catching the bottle.

"That's it?" The blonde principal asked, bewildered.

Konohamaru scratched his head and gave her a stare. "Yeah, that's it. Why? You were expecting something else?"

The blonde slammed her palms against her office table, making her papers fly.

"Of course!" Tsunade exclaimed. "No promises of pranks on that Suigetsu bastard? No maiming, tripping, or any other bodily harm cleverly disguised as an accident? What the hell, Konohamaru?"

"Bodily harm?!" Konohamaru screeched. "What the—?"

The boy fisted his knuckles, and Tsunade braced herself by covering her ears.

"What kind of student do you think I am, you old coot! A delinquent?!"

Tsunade did not even look apologetic when she shrugged indifferently. Konohamaru looked as if he was going to unleash some bloody, "bodily harm" on someone who was blonde and a principal.

"And you think I'm stupid?" Konohamaru continued, and when Tsunade was about to reply, he glared at her. "If I do get in trouble, it'll give that bastard a chance to meet up with my family. You know, to discuss about my behaviour and stuff."

And in a whisper, he added. "Sissy doesn't know he's back. I'll make sure it'll stay that way."

The fifty-something principal looked impressed as she stared at the youth before her. "You've matured, kid. Good job." She praised and gave Konohamaru an approving smile.

Konohamaru took it in and grinned a bit. "Just looking out for my family."

"I'm sure you are," Tsunade said before she neared the boy. "Which is why you'll be needing this."

She handed an envelope to Konohamaru, who eyed it, then at Tsunade, and back and forth, curiously. Tsunade continued.

"Show that to the guard so he can permit you to leave during school hours."

Konohamaru still looked lost. "Why would I need to go? And uuhhhh..." he scratched his cheek, "where, exactly?"

Tsunade was about to answer but was cut off when Shizune entered the office with a satisfied smile on her lips.

"Asuma's on his way to the hospital," she announced. "Poor guy couldn't even hail a cab right. The news must have shocked him."

Tsunade nodded in understanding, whereas Konohamaru was still very much flummoxed.

"Huh? What news?" Konohamaru wondered out loud, switching eye contact between Tsunade and Shizune like a lost little child. "What happened to Uncle Asuma?"

"Oh! Konohamaru-kun!" Shizune exclaimed, looking a little bit confused as to why Konohamaru was in the office. "You didn't hear? Your grandfather called and told us that Kurenai-san's 8 cm apart already!"

"O...okay... uhhh, what does that mean exactly?"

"She's been wheeled to the labor room already!" Shizune gushed as her eyes sparkled. "You're going to be an older cousin, Konohamaru-kun!"

Deafening silence met Shizune's statement, and when the dark-haired beauty faced the only Adam in the room, she gasped at the sight. Poor Konohamaru stood there, mouth agape, eyes wide, and complexion as white as snow.

And from her table, Tsunade heaved a long sigh as she examined the statue-like boy.

"Shizune, get another cab for him, won't you?"

**-OoO-**

She boarded the back seat hurriedly after she waved her goodbyes to the kids and thanked Matsuri over and over again. Her colleague laughed and told her that the situation was clearly understood, although Matsuri did make Tenten promise to treat her to a good coffee and cake combination at The Flash.

"I will," Tenten promised and crossed her heart. Matsuri rolled her eyes and giggled, before she waved when the car started to purr.

Leaning in between the passenger's seat and the driver's seat, Tenten smiled sheepishly. "I hope I wasn't interrupting something?"

The pretty, pale-eyes driver was quick to shake her head. "Not at all, Tenten." Hinata said softly, and Tenten grinned satisfactorily when she noted that the Hyuuga no longer stuttered. "Although I'm shocked that big brother didn't offer to take you there."

"Oh he did," Tenten said. "But I knew he was busy, so I told him I'd take a taxi. And that's when he insisted he'd ask you." The brunette paused before she added, "Sorry again."

"I told you, it's okay." Hinata replied as she shifted gears. "I also want to see Kurenai-sensei's baby too."

"You and me both!" Tenten said happily as she leaned back to sit on the backseat. "Nice driving by the way, Hinata! You're like a pro!"

At her seat, Hinata smiled demurely. "Thank you, Tenten." The Hyuuga said before making a turn. "But it's all thanks to my trainer, actually."

The blonde at the passenger's seat grinned widely.

"I can't take credit for everything, Hinata!" Naruto loudly declared. "You were easy to teach. So combined with my awesome 'sensei' powers," he laughed along with the ladies, "you were able to master driving within two months of our session!"

The shy girl pinked at the compliment, pale eyes sparkling in glee. "Thank you, Naruto."

The loudmouth nodded fervently before he turned around so he could face Tenten. "Isn't Hinata awesome, Tenten?" He gushed, and Tenten giggled, knowing that the praise was more than enough to fluster Hinata.

"There was one issue about her fainting spells though," mumbled Naruto as he closed his eyes sagely. "Luckily, Hinata and I overcame that problem by using our secret technique!"

"Secret technique?" Tenten questioned curiously. "Any chance you could tell me, even if it's a secret?"

"Well, you see—"it was Hinata who relied, but the Hyuuga was distracted when a speeding car whizzed in front of them, overtaking them when they were in a blind curve. Naruto shouted an expletive as he glared at the overspeeding car.

Tenten clicked her tongue and was about to comment about irresponsible drivers, when someone else beat her to it.

"Stupid prick!" Someone in the car hissed, and to Tenten's surprise, the statement came from Hinata who was now spewing a dark aura. "I hope he gets his license confiscated!"

And before Tenten could recover from the immediate change of personality in Hinata, said Hyuuga began muttering under her breath, aura still in the form waves of pure hate, as she mentioned more unfortunate events to happen on that one driver.

Tenten was quick to edge away from the driver, and at the passenger's seat, Naruto chuckled.

"I encouraged Hinata to release her tension instead of bottling it," the blonde explained, his chest puffing out like a proud mama bird. "See? She doesn't faint anymore!"

There was a loud screech and the car swerved suddenly that Tenten almost toppled at the back. Good thing the brunette was able to hold on, but her heart rate did speed up as Hinata apparently pumped the gas so she could overtake the stupid prick.

"Jerk! That will teach you not to mess with me!"

Naruto sniffed dramatically. "That's my girl!" He declared joyously. "You've made me proud, my little padawan!"

He choked as he tried to control his tears when Hinata beamed at him. And at the backseat, Tenten could only openly gape at the newest "Dynamic Duo".

'_Neji_,' she thought, '_is definitely not going to like this_.'

And when Hinata beat a red light, under Naruto's insistence, Tenten grimaced. '_Not at all_.'

**-OoO-**

**NOTES!**

A huge thank you to all my reviewers, and to my anon reviewers, **Deathsy** and **Ichigo**. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, and Ichigo. I was hospitalized for something, but I'm good now. Maybe I'll be discharged tomorrow or the next day. Here's to hoping!

Okay, so I realized that I haven't been able to give you guys previews. As an apology, I shall give two for the next chapter! YOSH!

**He hastily made his way out of the school premises, intent on checking every hospital in the vicinity until he could locate her. If it was indeed Tenten whom Konohamaru was rushing to, then there was a possibility that she was...**

**And despite the circumstances, Suigetsu smiled softly. He was going to be a dad soon.**

-cough-

Okay, what the heck did I just write? Or rather, what the heck did my inner fangirl make me write?! And PewPew, you guessed it right, hun. And no, don't grin, don't whoop for joy, don't smile! This is serious! Our inner fangirls are in cahoots! And I bet they're planning something evil soon... Dx/

Also, second preview!

**Then, Hiashi coughed before speaking. "Neji, it has come to my attention that a marriage between you and the daughter of one of my closest colleagues would prove beneficial for both our families." He declared, and when Neji fell silent, he continued. "Therefore, I want you to break up with Tenten."**

-more coughs-

You know what, f*ck this sh*t. Fruity's inner fangirl has gone loco! -flips table-

But of course! Reviews/Faves/Alerts are highly treasured and Constructive Criticisms are very much appreciated. Flames shall be used to burn this muse I call inner fangirl. She's gone craaazy...

Fruity out!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**WARNING: **Language and OOC.

Early update, since I will be busy this Sunday. My nephew's coming to visit! And to the person who added my story to a community (I don't know who you are since I did not receive any notifications), THANK YOU! :D

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 14: Soap Operas Can Brainwash You**

**-OoO-**

Suigetsu frowned as he continued his search, his eyes vigilantly seeking Konohamaru in this sea of many students. He pointedly ignored the flirtatious winks and high-pitched giggles from a few high school girls (and the lunch ladies), bowed respectfully to the teachers, and made actual conversations to anyone who were friendly enough to share word with him. Yet, he found no trace of the Sarutobi, making his frown deepen into a scowl.

'_Where the heck did that kid go_?' He thought irritably when he realized he had already searched the whole school grounds with fruitless results.

He intended on asking Konohamaru about Tenten, but seeing as the younger Sarutobi could not be found, his mind toyed with the idea of asking Asuma instead.

But before his brain could even finish the thought, Suigetsu quickly shook his head and sneered mentally at the idea. After all, it was bad enough that the large man spent most of the tour glaring at him like he was some sick criminal. Suigetsu was sure that if he ever mentioned Tenten's name in Asuma's presence, the man would most certainly snap his neck and hide his body where no one will ever find him.

His mind began formulating new ways to get clues, and before Suigetsu knew it, he had scouted the whole school grounds for the second time, with no luck in finding Konohamaru. Along the way, he tried asking some teachers and the boy's classmates, but they didn't know either.

It was like Konohamaru just vanished in thin air. Same goes for Asuma too, now that Suigetsu realized.

"Try the rooftop," the class president advised before she mumbled to herself, "the idiot better not be skipping classes or I'm telling Tenten!"

Upon hearing the name, Suigetsu felt his senses tingle and the alarms in his head rang in unison. He tried to look as casual as possible, brows raised in feigned innocence as he asked.

"You know Tenten?"

The Hyuuga nodded eagerly, her lavender eyes sparkling in happiness at the thought of the pretty brunette and her smitten older cousin. "Yup! She and my big bro—"

Whatever Hanabi had to say, she was interrupted when Shizune arrived, asking the girl if she had a minute to spare. Excusing herself from their new substitute teacher, Hanabi approached the secretary and listened to what the lady had to say. When they both finished their business, Shizune bowed to Suigetsu as she deeply apologized for interrupting.

Suigetsu nodded and grinned roguishly at the secretary, and when the woman left, he curiously asked Hanabi what it was all about.

"Oh, right." Hanabi said. "Well, it seems Konohamaru's been excused for an emergency. He's on his way to the hospital right now."

She bowed once more at the substitute teacher. "Please excuse me, Hozuki-sensei, but I have to tell the other teachers too."

Suigetsu hummed in affirmation, but by then, he was frozen in shock. When Hanabi mentioned something about a hospital, his mind just stopped, and all he could ever think as he stood at the hallway by himself was:

_Was it Tenten_?

He hastily made his way out of the school premises, intent on checking every hospital in the vicinity until he could locate her. If it was indeed Tenten whom Konohamaru was rushing to, then there was a possibility that she was...

And despite the circumstances, Suigetsu smiled softly. He was going to be a dad soon.

**-OoO-**

Neji was in the process of double checking one of the many documents piled up on his desk when the phone rang. He picked it up and listened as his uncle ordered him to come to the office, claiming that there was an urgent topic that needed to be discussed.

Without a beat, Neji answered in affirmative and stood up once he put the phone down. He only paused for a moment to secure his document before he made his way to his uncle's office.

And always the epitome of proper etiquette and good manners, Neji knocked on the door and only proceeded inside when his uncle gave him permission to enter. Once inside, his pale eyes quickly spotted the older Hyuuga by his desk, who was giving him a stern gaze.

Neji wondered why his uncle was suddenly so serious.

"Good afternoon, uncle." He greeted, and watched as his uncle nodded and gestured at the chair right in front of him. Neji sat on said chair, following his uncle's silent offer.

Hiashi was still silent, his gaze ever steely as if he was reading his nephew's soul... or chakra points, if they had those. For his part, Neji levelled the man's staring with his own instead of fidgeting like a regular employee. He was used to this, after all.

Then, Hiashi coughed before speaking. "Neji, it has come to my attention that a marriage between you and the daughter of one of my closest colleagues would prove beneficial for both our families." He declared, and when Neji fell silent, he continued. "Therefore, I want you to break up with Tenten."

The room was plunged into eerie quietness as the two Hyuugas continued their staring contest. It was not too long when Neji heaved a tired and very long sigh, making Hiashi smirk. He ran his fingers along his scalp before he glared at the older Hyuuga.

"Sir, you have to stop watching those soap operas. They can be quite hazardous to your mind."

Hiashi raised a brow before he let out a chuckle.

"Hinata did warn me that they can be quite addicting." He confessed, before giving a smirk. "But I'm impressed nephew. How did you know I was just joking around?"

This time, it was Neji's turn to raise a brow, although he did forego the chuckling. "You don't want Tenten and I to break up. You adore her, after all."

The older Hyuuga nodded wisely. "How very true." He mumbled as he nodded to himself. "Tenten is quite the catch, don't you agree, nephew? I'm actually surprised she settled for someone like you."

A vein popped in his forehead and Neji immediately stood up. "If you have nothing else to discuss, sir," he spat the word almost hatefully, "I will be taking my leave then. I have papers that need to checked and filed."

Hiashi coughed as he tried to cover an undignified snort. "Calm down, Neji. I was only joking." Hiashi said before offering the chair once more. "I do have news I must discuss with you."

Slowly, Neji did, although the younger Hyuuga was warily watching his uncle, who was smirking at him.

"Neji, the board and I had a meeting," Hiashi started, "and we all agreed that you are indeed ready to be an assistant manager."

Neji looked confused. "Don't you think this promotion is a bit too early sir?"

Hiashi waved his hand carelessly. "Details, details." He scoffed. "You are qualified, everyone has already agreed to it."

"Everyone."

"Yes, everyone." Hiashi paused before he frowned. "Except for Hyuuga Isamu. He believed his son could do better."

"Uncle Isamu?" Neji wondered, and he instantly thought of his uncle's second cousin. "But isn't his son still six years old?"

"Seven this year," Hiashi supplied before he scratched his chin, as if he had a beard. "Which reminds me, the brat's birthday is within this month. What should I buy, nephew?"

"What you bought last year? He seemed to have enjoyed it, sir."

Hiashi frowned. "I gave him a baseball bat, and he threw it on my head." And unluckily for Hiashi, the kid managed to hit his forehead, resulting to a huge bump and a never-ending series of headaches for a month.

Isamu deeply apologized for the mishap, but when he thought that Hiashi wasn't looking, he patted his son's head lovingly, gave the boy an approving grin, and then promised a lifetime of ice cream, to which the boy cheered ecstatically.

"Hn." Neji answered smartly, before he gave his own triumphant smirk. "Just make sure to dodge this time, sir."

Hiashi grunted. "Back to the topic at hand," he declared, ignoring Neji's widened smirk. "We all agreed you'd do a terrific job and all we need is your signature, and then you can start your training."

Neji nodded. "Will I be given time to think this over, sir?"

"Of course," Hiashi replied. "We don't want to rush you, nephew."

Another bout of silence followed, and Neji instinctively knew that the discussion was finally over. He stood up and excused himself, but before he could speak, Hiashi suddenly wondered out loud.

"Tenten works with kids, correct?" He asked and when Neji nodded, he reached for his phone. "Good. She'll know what to buy for a present."

The man's fingers worked on typing his message, and three minutes later, his phone vibrated as he received a new message. The older Hyuuga quickly checked his phone with a smile, only for it to be replaced by a huge frown.

"Tenten," he said, and Neji could see the visible twitches on the man's right eye, "suggested I buy the boy something related to sports, as kids this age are very energetic and outgoing."

Neji was smart enough to leave the room in haste, ducking his head and coughing so loud just so he would hide his snickers.

**-OoO-**

"Look daddy! A weird chair with big wheels!"

Tenten smiled as a little girl dragged along her father, so she could examine the wheelchair closer. She had a huge smile on her face, despite her right arm being encased in a cast, as she inspected the item before asking her father tons of questions that made the man laugh.

When Tenten giggled, the little girl turned to her and gave her a huge smile, to which Tenten replied with a wave. Pleased, the little girl beamed before her attention was diverted to something else, and she ran for it, forcing her father to follow.

Her eyes followed the father and daughter combo, and against her better judgment, Tenten's hand lightly landed on her stomach.

'_I wonder_,' she thought to herself before she shook her head firmly.

It just had to be her luck, she grimaced, having the labor room and the pedia ward in one floor of the hospital. Now, as she waited for her aunt to finally give birth, she'd also see a few kids running around with their parents in tow.

And whenever she'd see a kid, she'd have a mini mental breakdown. Always, she found herself thinking about her own child, before she would crush the thought firmly. But like a nightmare, the thought would worm itself insidiously at the back of her mind when she least expected it.

She needed a distraction, she decided – anything to stop this never-ending cycle of regrets. Unfortunately for her, Naruto and Hinata had left to buy some snacks, leaving her and Asuma in the waiting room. And speaking of the latter... she sighed softly as she glanced at the man seated next to her.

Her Uncle Asuma was pale, and the man's lips, chapped and oddly blue in color, were quivering. His eyes were glazed and distant, and his hands were shaking. His posture was lacking the dominating and confident stance for once, and he was mumbling encouragements to himself.

When her uncle almost toppled over, Tenten placed a comforting hand on the man's shoulder and was relieved when Asuma turned to her.

"She'll be fine," Tenten reassured the distraught man, "Aunt Kurenai's a fighter. You know that."

Asuma smiled tremulously before he heaved a long sigh. "I know." He said softly, eyes on his clenched fists. "She'll be okay."

"They're both okay," Tenten added and Asuma nodded. To divert her uncle's attention, Tenten decided to change the topic. "Naruto and Hinata sure are taking their time, right? I'm kind of hungry already."

Asuma chuckled lightly. "I bet Naruto's looking for ramen. He's probably harassing the kitchen staff as we speak."

Tenten hummed. "And Hinata's having a hard time convincing him to stop."

"Sounds about right," Asuma said as he stretched his limbs for a bit. Instinctively, his hand reached into his pocket to grab a cigarette, before he remembered that the hospital has a strict No Smoking policy.

He sighed once more, making Tenten look at him sympathetically.

"You can join grandpa outside if you want to smoke, uncle." She said, patting the man's arms lightly. "I'll stay here and keep you guys posted."

Asuma was quick to deny the offer. "Thanks kid." He replied gruffly and ruffled his niece's head affectionately. "But I'll stay here."

Tenten smiled. "If you say so."

Fifteen minutes later, Konohamaru joined them. The poor boy was sweating and panting as he most likely used the stairs instead of the elevator. Another five minutes passed when Hiruzen joined them, silently taking the seat next to Konohamaru, who complained that his grandfather smelled like smoke.

And two hours later, the doors to the labor room opened, prompting Asuma to stand up. He and the doctor shared a few words, before Asuma turned to his family, a wide grin on his face.

"I'm a dad now, guys!"

**-OoO-**

He spotted her first.

Suigetsu, having gone to three hospitals already, was tired and yet he pursued his search for Tenten like a mad man. He was on his way to the receptionist's booth to inquire if they had a patient under the name Sarutobi when his eyes managed to get a glimpse of her.

And like before, he was immediately drawn to just about everything about Tenten. He was only lucky that his brain was quick enough to order his body to hide – it gave him the freedom to study her secretly.

Tenten, he analyzed, had not changed at all in the months that he had not seen her. She was still breathtakingly beautiful. Her eyes, which were her biggest asset (according to Suigetsu), still sparkled like a pair of bright jewels. Her lips were set in a huge smile, and she was visibly bouncing as she moved, a clear indication that she was very happy.

Even though his first conclusion was incorrect (it wasn't Tenten who was hospitalized, but judging the flatness of her stomach, it only meant that she had already given birth then), Suigetsu still felt happy. Tenten always had that pleasant effect on him, now that he remembered.

Her phone in hand, Tenten had yet to notice him, and Suigetsu moved to follow her and maybe show himself to her. He felt giddy as he approached her, and he knew that it was only because this was what he had been waiting for.

His heart was pounding and his feet felt like jelly, but his body continued to move, his eyes set on her. She still had her back to him, and just when he was almost a few feet away from her, she ran.

Confused, Suigetsu's initial thought was that she saw him and she was not ready to face him just yet. He was about to call her name and plead that she stop to hear him out, but what happened next rendered him speechless.

Tenten had run straight into the arms of a long-haired man, making Suigetsu frown. The two were locked in an embrace, but Suigetsu's mind rationalized that they were just friends, because (really) a guy with that kind of hairstyle had to be gay.

But then, Tenten looked up just as the long-haired man leaned in, and the two shared a kiss. It was more of a peck than anything, but it didn't take a genius to see the love clearly evident in both their eyes.

After that, Tenten was eagerly talking as she held the man's hand. She seemed excited about something, and the man nodded along at every interval, a fond smile on his face.

They disappeared around the corner, and Suigetsu deduced that they had boarded the elevator. But even with the couple gone, Suigetsu stayed glued on his spot as he tried to make sense of what was going on.

_Tenten's seeing someone._

He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

_She's moved on._

He punched the wall hard, which earned him the security guard's attention. However, instead of pushing him out of the hospital, the guard called for a nurse and asked for some first aid. Perplexed, Suigetsu looked down to see that his knuckle was bleeding. He cursed.

"Lost someone, kid?" The guard asked sympathetically as he ushered Suigetsu to the ER.

"Yeah," Suigetsu replied angrily. ' _But I am going to do what it takes to win her back_!'

**-OoO-**

**NOTES!**

Fruity's chapters are getting shorter and shorter, yeah? But on the bright side, we're nearing the end. Maybe around, six chapters left? Here's to hoping! :D

And I hope Hiashi's still everyone's favorite uncle?

**Deathsy:** Nah, he just like trolling. And Neji's his favorite target. :D

**Ichigo-chan:** I'll end this before reaching 20 chapters. So I guess we're nearing the climax?

ANYWHO!

Reviews/Faves/Alerts are highly treasured and Constructive Criticisms are very much appreciated. Flames shall be used as my campfire, so I can sing the "Campfire S-o-n-g Song" like a boss. But no, I am not breaking any guitar.

Fruity out!


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**WARNING: **Language, OOC, and the use of alcohol.

**QUICK QUESTION:** If I were to start a high school fic after I finish Puppy, would you guys read it?

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 15: The Golden Girl**

**-OoO-**

She was thirteen when she first saw him.

It was the opening ceremony, and as much as she wanted to pay attention to the speaker who was also her grandfather, her eyes decided to have a mind of their own and opted to stare at... at this rather distracting man who was just so appealing and handsome!

Even with long hair, which was supposed to look strange on men, he managed to pull the look very effortlessly. His pale, lavender eyes were also very pretty and hypnotizing, and she marvelled at how focused he was at the principal. His face was also very pleasant to her eyes – aside from his rare eyes, he also had a very sharp nose, well-defined cheek bones, and an angular jaw that complimented very well his face shape.

'_You're staring again,_' an annoying and nasal voice piped in at the back of her mind, and she gasped softly before she groaned. She instantly shifted her attention to the principal, only to realize that he had already finished his speech. She clapped along with the others, but her eyes moved once more to him.

And Sarutobi Tenten was once more staring at the mysterious, attractive boy.

**-OoO-**

Hyuuga Neji.

That was his name.

This she found out some time later, and apparently, he was in the same section as her. And to top it all off, he sat just in front of her, giving her a perfect view of his silky, gorgeous hair.

And Tenten wasn't sure if she could call herself lucky or not.

On the bright side, she had the perfect chance to tap his shoulder once or twice when she had to pass her papers to the front. On the not-so bright side, it wasn't only her who realized how much of an eye candy Neji was, and for the first few months, a set of fangirls crowded over him like a pack of ravenous hyenas.

However, and another good thing Tenten could add in her "yay list", Neji never paid attention to any of those girls and regarded them with an icy behaviour that they found scary. And little by little, said fangirls (and the occasional fanboys) moved on to another piece of beef cake, aka Uchiha Sasuke, who basked in the praises and the glory they showered to him everyday.

When the last of Neji's fangirls disappeared finally, Tenten breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, she also felt miserable. After all, if Neji turned down girls who were as beautiful and as glamorous as those, what were her chances of having Neji to look her way?

She was only of average looks, no matter what her grandfather and (secretly) doting uncle say otherwise, and she wasn't a genius like Neji was. The only thing she excelled at was in the field of sports, and with determination, she decided to join clubs and win tournaments, just so he would someday acknowledge her existence.

And with that decision, she didn't even realize that she was obsessing over Neji's attention. But two years and eight medals passed, and yet, Neji never paid her any heed, much less even talk to her.

It was then that she gave up on him. The Hyuuga was just too hard to impress.

Yet, she didn't quit joining clubs and continued to win medals and trophies that made her school and her family proud. It was also at this time that her classmates affectionately called her "The Golden Girl", courtesy of Ino and Sakura, who both coddled Tenten like a pair of proud aunties.

Tenten adamantly refused the title at first, but she later got used to it. Or rather, Ino and Sakura both used their powers of persuasion until the brunette finally acquiesced.

She began receiving a lot of date invitations as well, which she all politely refused. She rationalized that she just wasn't ready because she wanted to focus more on her studies and sports. But deep, deep, _deep_ down, she knew that she was still childishly hoping for her first crush to look at her.

Unfortunately for Tenten, he never did. And before she knew it, they were graduating high school.

**-OoO-**

'_High school had been fun_', she thought as she stared at her classroom. Although they were a few ups and downs, and there was that one time when Sakura and Ino fought so hard they refused to talk to one another for a whole week, Tenten couldn't have asked for a better high school life.

Her high school experiences had been fulfilling, fun, exciting, and dramatic... but...

'_But it would have been better'_, she lamented inwardly, '_if I at least pulled enough courage to talk to Hyuuga-san_.'

She sighed to herself as she lightly reached out to touch her classroom's door. The thought that this might probably the last time she'd see this place nearly made her tear up, but she managed to steel herself. Instead, she closed her eyes and smiled softly as the series of memories she made and treasured here presented itself to her like a movie.

The graduation ceremony was about to start soon and she should really get going or else she'd be late. And her grandfather would scold her and sermon to her about the importance of punctuality. But it felt so good to reminisce the life she had here, and nothing, absolutely nothing, could be more perfect than having to remember the good memories.

But someone called her name, and Tenten could have sworn that the Earth moved.

Because standing right in front of her was Mister Perfect himself, Hyuuga Neji. Their class' valedictorian look a little bit flustered, and Tenten supposed that he was nervous for his speech today, which he really shouldn't because as far as Tenten knew, Hyuuga-san was the personification of flawless. Everything about him was so awesome, so wonderful, so ethereal...

So... so... so...

So perfectly distracting that she realized she was rambling. Like a fangirl. Inside her head. And she was still staring at him. And she was probably gaping like a mindless goldfish. And he was gazing at her as well, most probably thinking she was insane or something.

Therefore, she did what came to her mind first.

She smiled at him and hoped he wouldn't notice the awkwardness she was currently feeling.

She jogged toward him, ignoring how her heart hammered so painfully in her chest. She ignored the butterflies, puppies, and kittens that all came tumbling down on her stomach as she called his name, before adding, "You're here!"

Outside, she continued her dazzling smile, but inwardly, a nasty sarcastic voice known to everyone as common sense began to lecture her that, '_Yes, you silly girl, he's obviously here. Who else would be talking to you? A ghost?_'

She was quick to shut the voice firmly. She stopped once she was near enough, but she also made sure to give Hyuuga-san his needed space. The boy always gets a little antsy whenever you breached his little bubble. Tenten knew this because there was one time a fangirl made the mistake of getting too near him.

Hyuuga-san didn't hit her – he was raised a gentleman, after all – but the glare he gave her was enough to make the girl loosen her hold around his neck. And when Hyuuga-san walked away without a word, the girl was asked why she suddenly froze up. Said girl only shook her head before excusing herself.

After that, the fangirl learned never to latch herself demeaningly at cold prodigies. No, she was smarter and more experienced now. Instead, she went for piping hot prodigies like Uchiha Sasuke, much to Ino's and Sakura's ire.

There was a catfight concerning this, but that was another story left to be untold due to severe violence and excessive use of curse words.

Anyway, Hyuuga-san was still staring at her with those pretty eyes of his, and Tenten almost shuddered, if not for Hyuuga-san suddenly offering her a bunch of papers mutely. She was sure that he said something before that, but by then (and as nauseatingly cliché as it sounded), she was so entranced by his eyes that she didn't even hear him.

Bemused, Tenten accepted the stack of papers, took one good look at the texts on each page, and raised a finely shaped brow.

"Hyuuga-san", she said, because her curiosity was simply eating her, "what am I supposed to do with your graduation speech?"

Faster than the speed of light, Hyuuga Neji snatched the papers from her hands like a seasoned ninja. Tenten chuckled softly, hoping that this intense and awkward feeling would just go away and bother someone else.

This time, Hyuuga-san handed her the folder he brought along, and although Tenten was still a bit wary, she accepted it gratefully and took one big gulp of air before opening it.

_Fwoooosh_ went the air she greedily sucked seconds ago as she stared at what was inside the folder.

The image drawn was her, and at the same time, not her. Because what Hyuuga-san sketched was too beautiful, too perfect, to be her that it felt so unreal... so different. Vaguely, she felt Hyuuga-san move beside her but spoke nothing, Tenten decided to break the ice.

"Hyuuga-san! This is so beautiful!" She gushed. Her eyes remained glued on the drawing as she continued. "You have a very wonderful talent. I'm so jealous!"

Hyuuga-san once again moved, and at the corner of her eyes, Tenten saw him loosen his tie just a little bit. And then, he spoke. "It's only beautiful, because I have a stu-stunning model..."

This time, she did hear him. And with those words, and instant blush quickly blossomed on her cheeks. To hide her apparent blush, she looked away and shyly tucked a strand of her hair behind her ears.

She surprised herself when she replied. "I don't think I look this good, Hyuuga-san."

And because she was still shyly looking away, she didn't see Hyuuga-san shake his head.

"Believe me when I say this, Sarutobi-san, but you... I do find you beautiful. To be honest, I..."

Her head snapped to him, and even without the aid of a mirror, she knew that her face was now steaming red. She didn't expect such words to come from him after all, and unknowingly, she neared him so she could hear more from him.

"I..."

Poor Hyuuga-san was still stuttering, but Tenten didn't even notice because her mind was singing and her heart was wildly beating so loudly that she was afraid Neji might hear it too.

"Yes, Hyuuga-san?" She asked, seeing as Hyuuga-san seemed to have trailed off. She was now beside him, completely disregarding his need for personal space, but she couldn't help herself. And when Hyuuga-san took one good look at her, Tenten jumped slightly. And for awhile, she forgot to breathe as her eyes locked in on his gorgeous pale orbs.

However, before Tenten could speak, Hyuuga-san was suddenly turning away, and without preamble, left her hastily. And he was pretty fast too, judging by the way he managed to disappear before Tenten could even blink at his sudden retreat.

She only saw him once again when he gave his speech at the ceremony, and although she wanted to talk to him after their graduation, she was hindered by the amount of people (mostly teachers) congratulating Hyuuga-san.

Tenten herself had her own well wishers to thank too. Then, Ino and Sakura demanded that pictures needed to be taken, and by the time Tenten was done posing for the camera with pictures that could fill an entire album, Hyuuga-san was long gone.

Tenten felt another piece of her heart shatter once more.

**-OoO-**

It was the same in the university.

Tenten was ecstatic when she first found out that she and Hyuuga-san share the same school, and for the first two years of her college journey, she looked for him. She needed an explanation from the man, after all. Unfortunately for Tenten, the campus was far too big, and it didn't help that she and Hyuuga-san chose different courses.

She persevered for a good two years, but at the start of her third year, she had to stop her hunt for Hyuuga-san. Her course was getting more and more difficult, and most of her lessons required her full attention.

It was also by this time that she met Suigetsu.

He was a charming fellow with a quirky sense of humour. Technically, the man majored in Chemistry, a subject Tenten heavily despised, but he was so keen in his courting with her.

Apparently and according to him, he fell in love with her the moment he first laid his eyes on her. And after extensive research via asking common friends and colleagues, he finally knew her name and pulled enough guts to ask her out.

At first, Tenten outright refused because right now, her priorities were her studies. Suigetsu didn't seem to mind the rejection, saying that he respected her wishes, but he also didn't stop his advances. He always made sure to give Tenten special treatment, to which Tenten greatly appreciated.

And through their casual communication and moments of chivalry on Suigetsu's part, their relationship evolved from nodding acquaintances to good friends. And five months later, Tenten finally agreed to be his girlfriend, making Suigetsu holler in happiness.

Unfortunately for the two, they were both in the library at that time, and the old librarian wasn't too pleased about the noise. To summarize, Suigetsu was bodily thrown out by the sixty-year-old woman, who was surprisingly strong for her age.

Their relationship was everything Tenten always hoped and wanted. Although not entirely perfect, as they had arguments every now and then, both of them always made an effort to make things work. Plus, Tenten's best friends, Sakura and Ino, approved of Suigetsu, and Suigetsu's friends accepted Tenten as well and made her a part of their little crew.

And before Tenten knew it, they were already in their last year of college. It was also at this time that one of Suigetsu's friends invited them to a party. Apparently, the guy was celebrating his birthday, and Suigetsu was quite eager to join the shindig, taking along Tenten with him. Sakura and Ino, however, had to pass as they had a long exam come Monday.

At the party, multiple kinds of alcoholic beverages were served. At first, Tenten declined the drinks and was more or less watching her boyfriend chug bottle after bottle of beer, like he was drinking water. But then their friends, who were pretty much wasted, began pressuring her to try some. So she reluctantly did, just to appease them.

Just once, she said. But one gulp became two, until she finished the bottle that was given to her. And then she was reaching for another, because her friends told her so, and another, because her body seemed to like the alcohol's effects. And another, until everything else felt like a blur.

Her vision began to spin, and she pleaded Suigetsu to take her home. The last thing she felt before she passed out was his arm around her shoulders so he could steady her.

She was unaware of what happened next.

**-OoO-**

She only woke up to the sound of feet tapping against wood.

She blinked her eyes blearily and groaned when a wave of nausea hit her. To keep herself from vomiting, she rolled on her bed and buried her face against her pillow. She also wished for this killer headache to disappear, but when it didn't, she slowly got up. She had a stock of mefenamic acid inside her drawer for her dysmenorrhea; perhaps it could help with migraine too.

Sluggishly, Tenten rose from the bed and blinked once more. It took a moment before she realized she wasn't in her room. Her eyes immediately widened, all sleepiness gone in the wind. Quickly assessing her situation, she noticed that her clothes were haphazardly thrown everywhere, making her gulp.

She closed her eyes and prayed for a miracle before she slowly lifted the covers.

She was naked.

And she felt her eyes prick with unshed tears.

It was also at this precise moment that the door opened, and in came Suigetsu, now fully showered and dressed.

They both stared at each other awkwardly, with Tenten clutching on the sheets as if to protect herself. Wordlessly, Suigetsu picked up her discarded clothes and placed them all at the edge of the bed. They both shared another eye contact before Suigetsu sighed softly.

"Listen." He said, running his fingers against his damp hair. "I have to go to class today. Sorry about leaving, okay?"

He kissed her forehead lovingly when she nodded, and left. Minutes later, Tenten retrieved her clothes and made her way to the bathroom.

Only when she had a refreshing shower, a quick moment to remember what she did that made her do this, and a good breakfast did Tenten realize something. Today was a Sunday – supposedly, there was no class today.

**-OoO-**

When Tenten confronted him, Suigetsu apologized, saying that he was just shocked and needed time to gather his wits. And as always, he sweet-talked his way to forgiveness, and Tenten made him promise to never run away like that ever again.

He nodded solemnly and crossed his heart. Tenten lightly smacked him first before she forgave him.

And that was that. They never spoke of the incident ever again because they both thought that forgetting it was for the best.

However, fate had other plans.

First, it was her chest. Her breast felt rather tended and at first, she concluded that she was merely going to have her period. She didn't. But Tenten shrugged it off, before adjusting her brassiere. She must have tightened the straps unknowingly, she thought.

Then came nausea and vomiting, coupled with an absence of menstruation. Again, she didn't find this disturbing. She was, after all, in her fourth year of college and everything was just so hectic! Her body was merely stressed, that's why she was having all these conditions.

After, she noticed the frequent urination and her period had yet to come. Six weeks had passed now, and Tenten was beginning to feel fearful. She told no one about it though. Not even Suigetsu. She needed to know first before jumping to conclusions.

So one day, she bought a box of pregnancy test. And after making sure that she was alone at home, she read the test's instructions and proceeded to do what was required of her. She waited for three to five minutes silently before checking it.

There was a color change on the strip, and when Tenten checked the box to see what it meant, she paled.

"A color change on the strip denotes pregnancy," it said.

Tenten dropped the box as her body shook.

She hastily picked another one, only for it to present her with the same results. So she took another until all of her purchases were used. They all held the same outcome.

And Tenten cried until all her tears were spent.

**-OoO-**

She had no choice. She had to tell him. He had every right to know.

Braving herself and praying for strength, she told him. He was escorting her home, talking excitedly about his day, when she blurted out to him her secret.

"Suigetsu. I'm pregnant."

What happened next made her instantly regret her decision. Suigetsu was just looking at her, eyes wide in shock and uncertainty. He was silent, and this quietness only made Tenten even more nervous. Her arms automatically hugged her body.

"Please. Talk to me."

He didn't. Instead, he took a step back when she reached for him. Then he was shaking his head, saying things that made her cry, before running away like a coward. He didn't even think twice of leaving her. And she was feeling even more hopeless and helpless than when she held that pregnancy test many days ago.

She tried contacting him through phone, but he never answered her calls. She tried looking for him at the university, but he was such an expert at hiding himself and his tracks. And to top it all off, his friends loyally took his side and started avoiding Tenten as well. When there was no choice, they were always so brief and shifty, always denying having seen or heard from Suigetsu.

It only made Tenten feel more alone.

She wanted to tell somebody, wanted to scream all her anxieties and her loneliness. But she didn't want to bother Sakura and Ino – they were too busy and Tenten didn't want her problems added in their own pile. And of course, she didn't know how to tell her family. She didn't want to disappoint any of them nor did she want to shame her family name.

So she pretended.

She acted like she was alright. She attended classes, ate anything her heart desired, wore clothing that were a little tight, hung out with friends, stayed up late at night whenever she had an exam or a due project – anything to keep this illusion that everything was alright.

And then came one night. As she studied her lessons to prepare for an exam, she felt a slight stirring deep inside her bowels. She thought she was only feeling famished, so she made her way to the kitchen, making sure to be very quiet as everyone else was already asleep.

But her gut ached, as if someone was stabbing her repeatedly with a very sharp knife. She gasped as the pain suddenly became unbearable, and one of her hands gently rubbed her stomach in an effort to soothe herself. Her other hand leaned on the wall for support.

Tenten slowly slid down and prayed for the pain to stop.

That was when she saw the blood pooling from her thighs down to the floor. Her body trembled as she gazed at the pool of blood. And when another pain shot up, she screamed in pain and fright.

It was Konohamaru who she last saw before darkness claimed her.

**-OoO-**

At ten in the morning, Tenten found herself lying on an unfamiliar bed, with her whole family inside the room she was currently occupying. They all looked grim, and Tenten felt her blood freeze. She curiously gazed at each family member, hoping for someone to explain to her the situation. It was Kurenai who had to break the news to Tenten.

She lost the baby. The poor thing was only nine weeks old.

She spent the rest of the hours explaining tearfully to her family about her condition. There was no use hiding it now, but Tenten was extremely thankful that her family never judged her. Instead, they accepted her and loved her, even when she made a very huge mistake.

The tears only kept flowing.

And Kurenai quickly hugged her, whereas Hiruzen dragged a chair so he could sit near her bedside to grab her hand. Asuma and Konohamaru, however, refused to move as they both looked like they were going to murder someone, but Hiruzen quickly made the two promise not to do anything drastic.

It took some convincing and the two only relented when Tenten begged them.

Her secret pregnancy turned miscarriage remained a family secret. Tenten didn't even tell her two best friends that she was confined in the hospital. After all, both girls were smart, and Tenten knew that Sakura and Ino would find it suspicious as to why she was placed in the OB ward or why she had oxytocin as a side drip to her dextrose.

Tenten wasn't going to take any chances, no. So she only told the two about her hospitalization after her discharge, under the guise that she didn't want to worry them as she only had high fever. Nothing big.

But the recovery phase was a struggle, and Tenten was only thankful that she had her family's unwavering support. Step by step, she recovered physically, but she was having a hard time recovering mentally and emotionally.

The guilt was still there; she was aware of that. Because why did she suddenly feel the need to adopt a puppy with zero chances of being bought because of its eye defect? And after graduation, even when she was offered a job as an architect, she declined said offer and worked at a daycare center instead. Why did she do that?

Simple.

The guilt was holding her back. It was controlling her. It was basically blaming her and eating her conscience so much, because she failed to give that child a chance to live. So she made substitutions of what she lost, hoping that someday, she'd be free from her sins.

**-OoO-**

A warm hand encasing her own jolted her out of her musings.

Jumping slightly, Tenten turned toward the smirking man and gave a shy smile in return. Neji chuckled softly.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked as he leaned in to kiss her lips chastely.

"Just a little overwhelmed", Tenten answered. "A baby can do that to some people, I guess."

Neji nodded in understanding before leaning in once more. However, before the two could kiss, Konohamaru was suddenly knocking on the car door, with Tobi by his side.

"Oi!" He shouted, although his voice was a little bit muffled. "Out of the car, sissy! We're home!" Tobi barked in affirmation as well.

Neji and Tenten shared a light chuckle.

"Right. So I'll see you tomorrow, Neji?"

"Of course."

She unbuckled her seatbelt, before speaking once more. "I love you."

He cupped her cheek and kissed her. "I love you too."

Outside, Konohamaru gagged at the lovey-dovey moment and loudly announced his protest. Tobi barked once more and left scratch marks on the car's paint, as instructed by Konohamaru. Both only stopped when Tenten finally got outside of the car. They tried to look innocent, but Tenten saw what they did.

And they both gulped when Tenten glowered at them.

**-OoO-**

**Brace yourselves. Long author's note is coming.**

Alright, so let me start by saying that I know some, if not all, of you readers are still in their high school or college years. And let me just give you guys a friendly advice.

Drink responsibly. I cannot tell you not to drink, because sometimes you just have to try and experience new things, right? But please. Do not let your friends pressure you into drinking if you don't feel like it. Do not give in to peer pressure. And do not let alcohol control you. Remember, you are responsible for all your actions, drunk or not. So be smart, okay? :D

Also...! I had an interesting chat with **memory's marionette **(also a NejiTen fan) and she told me something I thought I might share with you guys. Of course, I asked permission first. :D

"Dragons are often depicted as chasing a "pearl" like jewel object. The pearl may be thought of as a metaphor for perfection and enlightenment, and also symbolises the moon. Considering how they're [Team Gai] represented with the Four Guardians of the Compass, and she's [Tenten] the dragon of the east, well... And guess whose eyes resemble moons? ;) (This is giving Kishi loads of credit, but if this is some sort of hidden sign, he has redeemed himself just a little bit in my eyes.)

-cough- Personally, I think she's giving Kishi a ton of credit for this -cough-

Anyways!

Now on to replies for the anon reviewers:

**Nejitenfureva:** Hiashi loves trolling Neji only. That's how he shows his love to his nephew. xD

**Guest-san hoho:** Naw, don't hate on Suiggy. He made a mistake, but at least he's trying to change that. But his appearance only made things complicated, yeah? Oh yeah, regarding AsuKure's kid... did the manga already say something about the kid's gender? I wanna know.

**Ichigo-chan:** Thank you as always! And di kami natamaan ng bagyo dito... Ang init nga eh, parang kumakagat yung init sa balat. Dx/

Anyway, thanks again for the reviews everyone! As always...

Reviews/Faves/Alerts are highly treasured and Constructive Criticisms are very much appreciated. Flames shall be given to my Charmander, because Charmander likes to play with fire! Yeah!

Fruity out!


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 16: And So They Meet**

**-OoO-**

She was listening to some tunes when someone knocked on her door. She paused her music and gave the person on the other side permission to enter. Her Uncle Asuma's head poked in once the door opened.

"Hey kid," he said gruffly, the dark rings around his eyes a testament for his need to sleep. "Can I ask you a favour?"

Tenten immediately answered in an affirmative and stood up once she deposited her headphones on her desk. "What do you need, uncle?"

The door opened widely and in came Asuma, smiling sheepishly. And despite the huge bags hanging limply underneath his brown orbs, he man was positively glowing in happiness. Tenten had to smile softly as she gazed at her uncle.

"Chibi," the man replied, talking about his week-old son. "He needs his diapers and baby wipes." Asuma trailed off as he scratched the back of his head. "I'd go, but Kurenai needs me in there too, and Pops is already asleep..."

Tenten quickly held a hand up.

"Say no more, uncle," Tenten said as she neared Asuma to give him a pat on his shoulders. "I'll go. The store's only three blocks away from here, anyway."

Asuma nodded, but he looked stern all of a sudden. "It's late. Bring your brother with you."

Tenten shook her head. "Can't. He's got a test tomorrow. Plus, he's still grounded, remember?"

True enough, when Hiruzen heard that Konohamaru actually ordered Tobi to vandalize Neji's car, the old man was disappointed and angry. And in his embarrassment, Hiruzen also offered to pay for the paint job, but Neji politely, yet adamantly, refused, claiming that Konohamaru was merely protecting his sister's honor.

Still, Hiruzen punished his grandson for the childish action and declared that Konohamaru was not to watch television or play any of his computer games for a month. Plus, the boy was to stay in his room and was only allowed to leave said place only for meals or when he had to go to school.

Horrified by such cruel punishment, Konohamaru begged and bargained. He even apologized profusely to Neji, making sure that his grandfather was watching and hoping it would somehow lessen the inhumane consequences Hiruzen had imposed.

It did.

Instead of one month, the duration had been decreased to two weeks. But only on the terms that he, Sarutobi Konohamaru, were to pass all of his exams in the next two weeks. Also, during such time, Konohamaru should not get himself into any trouble or else the punishment would extend for three months.

The younger Sarutobi looked conflicted for a moment once the contract was passed, before he nodded firmly and shook his grandfather's hand. The deal had been sealed on that fateful night, with Neji and Tenten as witnesses, and now Konohamaru was studying intently, even to the point of pulling an all-nighter for his exams.

Now the boy was halfway finished with his punishment, but his sudden transformation (and the three consecutive perfect scores in his exams) alarmed his teachers. One – Orochimaru-sensei, if Tenten remembered correctly – even called Hiruzen, just to make sure that the boy was alright.

Hiruzen only laughed and assured the clearly distraught teacher that everything was fine.

"It's only for a few minutes, Tenten," Asuma said. "Bring him with you. It's dangerous to go out on your own."

"I'll bring Tobi then! I don't really want to ruin Konohamaru's concentration." Tenten answered cheerfully, pulling open her cabinet to get a change of clothes. "He's studying Chemistry, I think. Something about a prick for a sub teacher."

Asuma choked on his own spit. Tenten looked at him confusedly, but he held his hand up to indicate that he was fine. Tenten only shrugged before she pushed her uncle out of the room since she had to change.

The huge man looked as if he was about to say something, but on cue, a loud wailing could be heard on the other room. Asuma was quick to leave and assist his wife and his child, but not before thanking his niece one more time.

**-OoO-**

He felt like shit.

Or rather, he felt like shit being picked up and thrown hard against concrete wall, where he was left to stick like moss until he dried up from the scorching heat of the sun. And then, he had to be scraped off with a very sharp knife because a soap and water combo didn't work on him anymore.

You got the gruesome picture? Good. At least someone now shared the same pain with him.

But he just couldn't understand what had happened back at the hospital. He just couldn't comprehend why Tenten replaced him with some guy with the longest hair he had ever seen.

Granted, he'd left and never contacted her for months, but he was here now and he was more than willing to make amends! Didn't that give him some points or something? Plus, what they had together was special, right? They even had a kid together, for goodness' sake! And if that long-haired dude planned on stealing his family... well, Suigetsu wasn't about to go down without a fight.

No way.

He had come back here for a reason, and this time, he wasn't going to run anymore. Never again. Tenten's was his, just as he was Tenten's, damn it!

Suigetsu groaned loudly, banging his non-injured hand against his dinner table, before massaging his pounding head. He was tired, both physically and emotionally. And to make matters worse, a certain someone was loudly knocking his door, making his head ache even more painfully.

"Suigetsu, come out! I know you're in there! I heard you!" Someone from the other side shrieked.

The man called merely released a tired sigh, before standing up and opening his apartment's door. There was no use hiding anyway. Not when you're facing this she-devil of a neighbour.

Taking time in fiddling with the locks and bolts, Suigetsu soon opened his door with zero enthusiasm and negative energy. He found himself face-to-face with his bespectacled lady neighbour.

Standing five feet and seven inches tall, Karin was one of the tallest women Suigetsu had ever seen. With dark red hair, bewitching charcoal eyes, and plump red lips, even without lipstick, Karin was a very enchanting young lady, fit to be a model.

And she knew it.

Oh dear heavens above, she so knew it. And she flaunted her features with a confidence that could outshine any superstar out there. She had the walk, she had the looks, hell, she even had the _aura_, and yet, even with all her efforts and carefully planned tactics, she could never get the attention of one Uchiha Sasuke.

Personally, Suigetsu thought that the man was gay because he didn't even bat an eye when Karin, wearing a shirt that revealed cleavage and a pair of shorts that could fit a five-year old, openly flirted with him.

But he wasn't going to tell Karin what he thought, because she'd either go violent and hit him where the sun doesn't shine or cry buckets of water until she felt better. And then she would kick him. Besides, the last time Karin did cry, she invited both Suigetsu and their other neighbour Juugo inside her apartment, where they spent the whole night watching silly soap opera reruns until their eyes drooped.

"Ah, there you are!" Karin said pleasantly. "And here I thought I would have to do something drastic like breaking your windows or something to get your attention!"

Suigetsu could only shrug, because that was the only safe answer when it came to Karin. Because if he did speak one word, this woman in front of him would take that as a challenge and do something crazy. She probably break his windows, now that he thought about it.

"Anyway, I need a favour," Karin continued without missing a beat. "It's really important."

This time, she paused to give him a pointed stare. Suigetsu also learned that Karin was giving him the floor to speak. And speak, he did.

"What do you want, woman?"

Karin beamed. "So you'll do it?"

"I'm not agreeing to anything until I know what it is."

"Well, it's really simple," Karin replied breezily. "I need you to buy me some sanitary napkins. And mefenamic acid too, while you're at it."

An awkward silence followed, before Suigetsu moved to close the door. Karin, on the other hand, was quick to stop him before he could do so.

"No way in hell, woman! Ask Juugo, damn it! I'm a man, for fuck's sake!"

Karin blanched at the language. "How dare you use such foul language on a lady, you bastard!" She hissed, and Suigetsu raised a brow at the irony. But Karin wasn't exactly done yet. "Juugo's not home yet. Also, what do you think of Juugo anyway? A freakin' girl?!"

"He has mood swings like one," he spat as he bodily pulled the door to close it. He smirked when the door did move in his favour, indicating that he was winning this little game of tug and war.\

Suigetsu was just about to boast his victory with a slam on Karin's face, when something else caught his attention.

A sniff.

And his eyes widened in realization.

Karin suddenly let go, and because Suigetsu was still pulling, the force resulted in him falling, pulling along the door with him. Said door closed with a deafening bang, but he could still hear his lady neighbour sniffling.

Sobs soon followed, and Suigetsu knew that he lost. And it was time to give up and give in.

He slowly opened the door, knowing that he was going to regret this. But then again, did he have a choice? His neighbour was asking for napkins and some painkillers, and she was having mood swings like their good ole' friend Juugo.

It only meant that Karin was – and Suigetsu gulped – ovulating.

Unsurely, he spoke to his till weeping neighbour as soon as the door fully opened. "What else do you need?"

He regretted his decision the moment Karin grinned at him.

**-OoO-**

"Sorry boy," Tenten cooed as she patted Tobi's head sympathetically. "But dogs aren't allowed in the store. You know that."

Her dog whined and rattled his chains that were currently tied to a lamppost. He pawed at his mistress, as if making her free him, and only stopped his pleading when Tenten promised him she'd hurry up. And when Tenten mentioned something about doggy treats, Tobi quickly sat down and behaved like a good boy, his tail wagging in satisfaction.

Tenten giggled and patted her dog one last time before entering the store.

The doors opened automatically, allowing her entrance. Tenten first greeted the cashier and store owner's grandson, Arashi, before grabbing a shopping basket and proceeding to Aisle Seven, where she grabbed a few bags of chips. She also made her way to Aisle Fourteen, where the packs of doggy treats were fastidiously placed in shelves.

Tenten grabbed one and mentally calculated her purchases. When she realized that she had more than enough money in her pocket, she grabbed another pack of doggy treats, as a reward for Tobi because he was such a good dog.

Smiling satisfactorily, she moved to Aisle Seventeen, where an assortment of baby necessities greeted her. Humming to herself a soft tune, she searched for her phone and opened a saved message that served as her shopping list.

She expertly chose the items her Aunt Kurenai preferred. She double-checked the items on her basket and nodded to herself once she was certain that she didn't miss anything.

Tenten quickly went to the counter to pay for her items, making small talk with Arashi who was checking out her purchases. Tenten asked about the boy's studies and his grandmother, and Arashi was enthusiastic enough to answer, sometimes asking Tenten some questions too. Their conversation ended by the time the items were all fully paid and packed.

Once outside, Tenten shivered slightly as a cool breeze blew by. She pulled her jacked closer and hurriedly jogged to where Tobi was waiting for her. Said dog stood up and barked immediately when he caught sight of Tenten running toward him.

"Hey Tobi, did I make you wait?" She scratched the back of his ears and giggled softly when Tobi whined. "Sorry, sorry. But I bought snacks!"

She yelped when her dog suddenly pulled his chains and whined some more at the mention of food. Tenten fondly ruffled the dog's head when Tobi jumped in excitement.

"You are so cute!" Tenten gushed just as she reached to unlock Tobi's chains. "You're like a big baby!"

Only the sound of chains rattling was heard after Tenten's declaration, until someone else made his presence known.

"Tenten?"

And her eyes widened, because after all the months she had not seen him, she could still recognize his voice.

**-OoO-**

He did not expect to find her here.

Suigetsu was just on his way to the counter, a box of tampons clutched securedly on his right hand, when Tenten entered the tiny store. He immediately stepped back and secretly watched as she greeted the cashier enthusiastically, before taking a basket and making her way to the aisles.

He followed her stealthily.

She was humming a tune as she shopped, occasionally stopping to examine an item before moving on to the next aisle. At the seventeenth, however, she suddenly reached for her phone and alternatively looked at the device's screen and the items stacked neatly in the shelves.

Curiously, he craned his neck to see what other things Tenten was buying, and his eyes widened because she was buying diapers and baby wipes!

'_It's official_,' his mind cheered, '_you are definitely a dad now_!'

His eyes never left her form as he continued to watch her in the shadows. Tenten was at the counter by now, and so far, her newest boyfriend wasn't around to interfere. And yet, Suigetsu patiently waited until he made sure that "Mr. Long Hair" was definitely not within the perimeter.

By now, the cashier was already done checking the items, and he made a little comment that made Tenten laugh as she handed her payment. He said something again, and Tenten smiled as she shook her head. Then she grabbed the bag filled with her purchased items, said goodbye to the cashier, and left.

Suigetsu took this as his chance to leave as well.

He quickly went to the cashier to pay for the tampons and then raced outside, hoping he could still catch up with Tenten. Fortunately for him, he spotted her by the corner, where a huge Labrador waited for her.

Said animal wagged its tail and barked its response whenever Tenten cooed and touched him. Before Tenten could free the dog, Suigetsu was already in hearing range and there was no more chance to turn back now.

Cautiously, he called her name and watched as she finally turned to face him.

**-OoO-**

She didn't know what to say.

Then again, what appropriate thing can you say to the man you once loved, only for him to abandon you when he found out about your delicate condition?

'_Fuck you, go away, leave me alone'?_

'_What the hell are you doing here, you bastard'?_

'_Die in a ditch, asshole'?_

Tenten frowned as her mind supplied more answers, all of which contained a curse word or two. And since she was working in a kid-friendly environment for a few months now, such derogatory words now offended her and she always made it a point to chastise her family and friends whenever they did cuss.

So she settled for something else, and the first thing that her mind suggested was a simple, "Hey."

Suigetsu looked perplexed.

Then he scratched his cheek and nodded. "Hey."

Cautiously, Tenten stood up, hands clutching tightly on her grocery bag as she stared at Suigetsu in aghast. Said man on the other hand avoided her piercing gaze, as he opted to turn his sight sideways.

"Fancy meeting you here, huh?" He said awkwardly, and at the corner of his eye, he saw Tenten nod unsurely.

"Seeing you again is definitely odd," Tenten replied and murmured, "Since you just left without saying anything."

'_Ouch.' _Suigetsu cringed at the brunette's accusatory tone and took a step away from Tenten. The girl remained unmoving as he ran his hand across his scalp and took a deep breath.

"I know what I did," he confessed softly, "and I... I wanted to apologize. That's why I came back."

Tenten was silent, but judging the way her eyes narrowed, Suigetsu knew that he was not forgiven just yet. He continued, hoping to gain her favour back by explaining himself.

"I... really want to make it up to you, Ten. I really do. I won't leave this time, I promise."

There was a pause, until Tenten sighed audibly.

"It's too late for that, you know."

He swallowed painfully, feeling his throat constrict. He had readied himself for rejection, but hearing it from her lips felt different. It felt more painful... and real.

He panicked. It was getting hard to breathe. It was as if his lungs were failing to function, and his body went rigid as his brain shut down and his heart skipped a beat.

"I can change! You know that. Just give me one last chance, I can make things right again. I swear!"

He didn't know how he did it, but he was suddenly in front of her and had trapped her hands on his own. Tenten resisted and pulled, but he held on, no longer caring if he was bruising her with his firm grip. Behind Tenten, the dog growled as he sensed his mistress' discomfort around this blue-haired stranger.

"Let go!" Tenten demanded, and when Suigetsu adamantly refused, she aimed a kick against his crotch.

He managed to evade in just in time, but his grip loosened just a bit. Tenten seized this opportunity to pull away, and she immediately turned to distance herself from her attacker.

But the man was able to catch her wrist, and with enough force, he yanked Tenten forcibly, making her lose her balance. The poor girl landed painfully against hard concrete and yelped at the contact.

Tobi, by now, was livid, and the dog quickly stepped in front of his mistress, growling at the man who had hurt her, he barked ferociously, predatory eyes never leaving Suigetsu. The animal's stance clearly showed that he was ready to bite and dismember Suigetsu if the man ever did come close, but someone beat Tobi to it.

A flash of green, a glimmer of sparkling teeth, and a battle cry of "Dynamic Entry!" appeared, and a second later, Suigetsu was thrown a few feet away from Tenten, courtesy of one powerful kick from a very youthful hero.

And PING went his teeth one more time.

**-OoO-**

**NOTES!**

Early update once more because Madin456 (whom I shall now call **Madz**) pointed out that yesterday (or today in your part of the globe) was Friday the 13th. And I was like, heck yeah, let's party like it's 2012! Someone grab the disco ball!

And to **Ichigo-chan**, I live in the Visayan region. Taga Negros po ako.

-cough-

Oh, and by the way, last chapter, I mentioned something along the lines of "pregnancy turned abortion", and Reider pointed out that the right term for it was miscarriage. I am thankful for that as "miscarriage" was the word I was looking for.

However, I would also like to say that there is definitely no difference between abortion and miscarriage. According to Pillitteri, "Abortion is a medical term for any pregnancy terminated before the age of viability, commonly called miscarriage."

And there are types of abortion. What happened in the story is called "early spontaneous miscarriage", because it occurred before week 16 of pregnancy. Now when you say ending the pregnancy willingly due to multiple reasons, we call that induced abortion, which is divided into two, namely: mentally induced abortion and surgically induced abortion.

I hope that cleared any confusion, by the way. :)

Last note, I've somewhat started the high school fic, but it's more or less just a very, very, very short prologue. If you want a sneak peek, just tell me. I'll be glad to show it to you, and if possible, can you also give me a few tips? Thanks! :D

As always...

Reviews/Faves/Alerts are highly treasured and Constructive Criticisms are very much appreciated. Flames shall be used to burn other flames. So we can get a bigger flame. Or maybe experience Flame-ception. And then we can party like it's 2012! WOOHOO!

Fruity out!


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